Pokémon: Okam Journeys!
by RGGod
Summary: Welcome to the region of Okam! Jackie, who's been living there for not even a week, sets out on a journey for glory. Follow the adventures of Jackie as he journeys through Okam, makes new friends, fights an evil organization with a not-quite-so-clear goal, and challenges the gyms on his way to becoming the Pokémon League champion! PLEASE REVIEW!
1. The Journey Begins!

**Disclaimer- I don't own pokémon and I never will. The only things in this story that I really own are the human characters and the evil team. This applies to every chapter of this story.**

**This is rated T for violence, and for possible death and sexual situations later on. *sweatdrops* Sorry about the last one, I tend to get carried away when I'm writing, and I end up crossing lines that shouldn't be crossed without noticing it. Just let me know if something is too M-rated for this fic, okay?**

* * *

_**Chapter One:**_

_**The Journey Begins!**_

* * *

"Where am I?" the boy asked aloud. He looked around, finding that he was in a black void. "Huh?" in front of him was a man in a lab coat. No matter how much the boy squinted, he couldn't make out the rest of the man's features.

"Hello there!" the man greeted him, "Welcome to the world of Pokémon, specifically, the Okam region! My name is Professor Cherry! This world is inhabited by creatures called Pokémon," to demonstrate this he reached into his lab coat and took out a red and white ball.

He pushed a button between the red and white halves of the ball, causing it to split open and release an arch of red energy, which materialized into the form of a round, pink creature with a curled tuff of hair on its head, large, blue eyes, and stubby arms, "Jigg! Jiggly puff puff jig jiggly! Jigg puff jiggly puff jigg! (Ah! After 10,000 years I'm free! It's time to conquer earth!)" the creature exclaimed.

"Hmhmhm," chuckling, the professor continued, "For some people, Pokémon are pets. Others use them for fights. So, what's your name?"

The boy blinked, "Uhh… My name's Jackie, Jackie Richards. I'm fourteen and-"

"Right, so your name's Jackie," Cherry interrupted, "Your very own Pokémon legend is about to unfold! A world of dreams and adventures with Pokémon awaits! Let's go!"

**Morning (6:54 A.M.), Verde Town**

"Wha?!" the boy awoke, roughly tossing aside the covers on his bed. "Huh?" he looked around, he was in his room, "What a weird dream,"

He got out of bed and stretched, "Seriously, we haven't been in this region for a week now, and I'm already having dreams,"

"Hello?" a voice called from downstairs.

"What is it, Grandma?" Jackie called back.

"It's time for breakfast!" Grandma answered, "Do you want any?"

"Of course!" Jackie made his way to the stairs.

"You better be dressed!" Carly, his little sister, yelled.

Jackie stopped, sighed, and began taking off his pajamas.

A few minutes later…

He stared at his reflection in the mirror.

He had long, spiky, dark green hair that was very reminiscent of a Sandslash's quills, under which was a red, white, and blue sweatband. His yellow eyes showed brightly on his youthful, slightly-tanned features. He wore a royal blue, plain-styled hoodie, pure white pants, and sneakers.

Smiling in approval, he headed downstairs…

"Delicious!" Jackie said through a mouthful of pancakes.

"You bet they are," his grandma, a proud woman in her sixties, smiled.

There was a rapping on the windows.

"Oh, that must be Sonja and Boomer!" Carly, a young 8 year old girl with blond pigtails, exclaimed as she went and opened the window.

In flew two bat-like creatures: a normal, lavender female and a shiny, blue male. Each had two, clawed fingers on each wing and two long toes on each foot. Their hips and chest were covered in spiky, black fur. They had large yellow eyes, two purple (blue in the male's case) teardrop-shaped spots on the front of their faces, and large, tear-drop shaped ears that resembled loudspeakers.

"How ya doin', Sonja?" Jackie greeted the Noibat as she perched on his shoulder.

"Bat! Noi noi! (Great! Really great!)" Sonja greeted.

"Noi bat noi? (How's it goin'?)" Boomer asked as he perched on Carly's shoulder.

"So, have I received anything yet?" Jackie asked. He had been expecting mail from Professor Cherry for a while now.

Grandma's face creased into a smile, "Maybe," she pulled out an envelope.

"YES!" his hands darted for the note, but Grandma easily held it out of reach, "Huh?"

Grandma's eyes narrowed, "What's the magic word?"

Jackie sighed, "Please?"

"'Please', what?" his grandmother asked.

He sighed again, "Please, may I see the envelope?"

She smiled as she handed over the envelope, "Good boy,"

He opened the envelope, taking out a note, "Dear Jackie," he read, "I have read over the essay that you've sent me, and I must say that, despite the frequent spelling and grammatical errors, I was very impressed. You sound like a wonderful person, and I know you would make a great Pokémon Trainer. So let's make it official, I have awarded you with your very own Trainer License! I have left it in a box, along with everything else you'll need for your journey, sans a backpack and Pokédex," he looked up, "Box?"

Carly smiled as she lifted up a small rectangular box.

Jackie nodded as his eyes went back to the note, "If you would, I have just received a shipment of starters from Johto, and, while I am aware that you are already in the possession of a Pokémon (a Noibat, I believe), why pass up on the chance for a free Pokémon? You better hurry though, I only have 13 starters left, and there are a dozen other people coming over to get one, so I suggest you hurry over to my lab in Rosa City. Love, Professor Cherry," trembling, he put down the note and turned to his sister, "C-Carly, can I please see that box?"

Smiling, she handed over the box.

He took it, opened it, and examined its contents: his Trainer License, a small rectangular card that had his name and picture, among other information, and his Badge Case, a rectangular case that had eight indentations for each Gym Badge that he could win.

Along with those were two other items: a potion, which was a spray-type bottle of liquid that healed a Pokémon's injuries, and a single Poké Ball, which was for Sonja (as an unlicensed trainer, he wasn't allowed to purchase Poké Balls by himself, or compete in any official league events.)

"Yes," he whispered as he held the ball in his hand, "Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, YES, YES, YES, YEEEEEEEEEESSSS!"

"Hmhmhm," Grandma chuckled, "So full of energy,"

He turned to Sonja, "You ready, girl?"

"Noi! Noi noi noi bat noi bat bat noi bat! (Finally! I've always wanted to know what it feels like!)" the lavender bat flapped her wings in excitement.

"Good!" Jackie smiled as he threw the Poké Ball at Sonja, "Go, go, Poké Ball!"

The Poké Ball hit Sonja on her head, bounced off, split open, and released a red light that surrounded her, pulling her into it.

The ball closed, fell to the floor, rolled back and forth three times, and then clicked, indicating that Sonja had been captured.

"YEAH!" Jackie lifted the Poké Ball high into the air, "I (officially) caught a Noibat!"

He clicked the button on the Poké Ball, and it split open, releasing Sonja, "So, how's it feel to be in a Poké Ball?"

"Noi! Noi noi bat! (Awesome! Totally super awesome!)" the Noibat shook her head vigorously.

"I'll take that as an 'it felt good'," Jackie noted, "But ya know, we really should hurry over to Rosa Town to see Professor Cherry,"

Smiling, Grandma nodded, "That would be the wise thing to do, yes. Aah," she sighed, "I remember when your mother went out on her own journey, back when Poké Balls were first made,"

"Yeah, I hope mom's alright back home in Kalos," Carly said worriedly.

"Don't worry; I'm sure she's alright. After all, she's got dad for company," Jackie assured them. "Now all I need is a backpack and a map of Okam and I'll be ready to go!"

"Hahaha," Grandma laughed, "Yes, now where did I put them?"

"Right over here!" they turned to find Carly, holding the aforementioned backpack and map. "You know the drill, right?"

Jackie sighed, "Let me guess, the usual Pokémon battle over my stuff?"

Carly nodded, "Yep! Me and Boomer versus you and Sonja!"

"Noi bat noi noi bat?! (Are you ready to rumble?!)" Boomer challenged.

"Hmhmhm," Grandma chuckled, "My, my, how exciting,"

Jackie smirked, "Bring it!"

"Noi bat bat, noi! (You're going down, bro!)" Sonja taunted.

* * *

**Author's note**

**And so the first chapter of Pokémon: Okam Journeys is finished. This is my current project, and one I hope to continue. The updates are probably going to be less frequent then Uprising/Downfall, but I make no promises. Well, see ya next time!**

**-RGGod, out! Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.**


	2. Battle of the Noibats!

_**Chapter Two:**_

_**Battle of the Noibats!**_

* * *

**Unknown**

She ran.

They chased her.

She ran.

They were gaining on her.

She ran.

She wasn't going to get captured. She would never let that happen. It would be a disgrace to her honor!

But she was getting tired, and they knew it.

"It's over there!" one of the men called.

"I see it!" another hooted.

"Let's get it for the Boss!" the third man, the leader of the small group, ordered as they sped along.

She ran.

**Morning (7:22 A.M.), Verde Town Pokémon Battlefield**

The four siblings (two human, two Pokémon) faced each other down on the arena, which was a cleared, flat piece of land 20 feet wide and 40 feet long.

"You ready?" Jackie called over to his sister, Carly.

"You bet!" Carly answered, "I've got your backpack right here! If you want it, you've got to beat us!"

"Noi bat noi bat bat! (And that's not gonna happen!)" Boomer, a shiny noibat, taunted them.

"Bat, noi noi bat noi! (Oh, you bet it will!)" Sonja, a normal noibat, taunted back.

"Are you guys ready?" Grandma asked from where she stood outside of the battlefield.

"Yeah!" all answered.

"Then begin!" Grandma ordered, and they obeyed.

"Sonja, use Tailwind!" Jackie made the first move.

"Noi bat! (All right!)" Sonja whipped up a turbulent whirlwind that doubled her speed.

"Boomer, Screech!" Carly ordered.

"NOOOOOIIIIIIIIII!" Boomer screeched, hurting everyone's ears and sharply reducing Sonja's defense.

While still clutching his ringing ears, Jackie called out his next order, "Now, while he's still screeching, counterattack with Tackle!"

"Noi! (Sweet!)" ignoring the stinging pain in her ears, Sonja charged forward and rammed into her brother, knocking him to the ground.

"Noi! (Dang!)" Boomer whimpered as he got back up into the air.

"Are you okay, Boomer?" Carly asked worriedly, "Better heal up, use Leech Life!"

"Noi bat! (Take that!)" Boomer spit out a thin needle that pricked Sonja, causing her pain as several orbs of green energy (HP) flew into Boomer, restoring his health, "Noi~ bat noi noi~ (Aah~ That feels nice~)" Boomer sighed.

Jackie gritted his teeth, "Not good!" he ran over his options in his head, before finally coming to a conclusion, "That's it! Sonja, use Supersonic!"

Sonja's large yellow eyes lit up, "Noi noi! (That's perfect!)" she opened her mouth and began emitting bizarre sound waves that left Boomer confused.

"Noi bat? Noi noi? (What the? What's happening?)" Boomer staggered in his flight as several birds flew around his head, indicating that he was suffering from the confused status.

"Oh darn it!" Carly stamped her foot on the ground in frustration, "I was gonna do that!"

Jackie smirked, "Too bad!" he clenched his fist and punched forward, "Sonja, let's finish this! Use Tackle!"

"Noooi bat! (Awww right!)" Sonja flew towards the confused Boomer and rammed into him, bringing him to the floor one last time.

"Noooooooo!" Carly screamed.

From where Boomer lay twitching on the ground, a whimper was heard, "Noi baaaaat… (I giiiiive…)"

"We did it/Noi bat noi!" Jackie and Sonja cheered in victory as Carly's shoulders drooped in disappointment.

"Awww," Carly moaned as she headed over to Boomer. She sat down next to him and patted his head, "At least you gave it your best shot,"

Boomer got up, stretched, and smiled, "Noi noi bat bat, noi bat? (I guess I did, didn't I?)"

"You were awesome, Sonja," Jackie congratulated the Noibat as she perched on his head.

Her chest swelled with pride, "Noi bat, noi noi? (I was, wasn't I?)"

Jackie walked over to Carly and Boomer, "Well, we won, and you know what that means,"

Carly sighed, "Yeah, yeah," she got up and dusted herself off, "Here," she handed him the backpack.

She looked up to him, her eyes sparkling with determination, "You do realize, though, that the next time we fight, _we _will win, right?"

Boomer flew up and perched on her head, looking up at Sonja, "Noi, noi? (Yeah, right?)"

Sonja smirked, "Noi noi bat bat noi! (If you can keep up!)"

Jackie smiled as he patted her on the shoulder, "You're going to need a lot of training then, because the next time you see us, we'll be the champions of the Pokémon League!"

"My, my," Grandma chuckled, "You better hurry, Dear," she called to Jackie, "After all, you'll want the best pick on those starters Professor Cherry has,"

Jackie started, nearly dislodging Sonja from his cranium, "That's right!" he ran into the house to pack.

Several minutes later…

He had packed the backpack with everything he had received from Professor Cherry, along with another potion he had (he had a third, but he had used it on Sonja after their battle), several personal provisions of his, and 3,500 pokédollars.

Dressed the same as he had been all day, but with the backpack on his back, he prepared his green bike, ready to set off on his journey, "Well, this is it,"

"Don't worry, bro!" Carly, with a healed Boomer perched on her shoulder, gave him a thumbs up, "You'll do great!"

Grandma nodded, "That you will,"

Jackie smiled, genuinely touched, "Y-You really think that?"

Grandma smiled, "We don't think, we know,"

"Yeah!" Carly cheered.

A tear came to his eye, "T-Thank you,"

"Don't mention it!" Carly laughed while giving him a light punch to the shoulder.

"Noi bat bat noi noi, bat, noi bat noi noi bat bat noi bat! (You do good out there, sis, and be sure to bring home the gold!)" Boomer told his older sister from his perch on Carly's shoulder.

She smiled jovially as she gave him a playful swat on the head with her wing, "Noi bat, noi, bat bat noi! (Don't worry, bro, I'll be fine!)"

Boomer nodded, "Noi bat noi noi, bat! (I know you will, sis!)"

"Well, it's time to go!" he took out Sonja's Poké Ball, "Sonja, return!"

Sonja waved goodbye to them as she dematerialized into red energy and was pulled into the Poké Ball, "Noibat, bat! (Goodbye, everyone!)"

Jackie got onto his bike and began peddling for route 12, "Goodbye! I'll see you later! I don't when, but I will!"

"We'll miss you!" Carly, Grandma, and Boomer called after them.

They watched as he rode off into the sunset.

Grandma sighed, "I'm going to miss him,"

Carly sighed as well, "Me too. How long do you think he'll be gone?"

"Dunno," Grandma shrugged, "Personally, I'll give him a good six months,"

"Hmm?" Carly stroked her chin while Boomer tried to imitate her, "Yeah, that sounds about right,"

They sighed again, and said nothing for the next several seconds.

"Oh well," Grandma turned around and walked over to the house, "Dibs on his room,"

"Hey!" Carly started and ran after her, Boomer flying behind her, "I already had dibs!"

* * *

**PS. Did I do good on my first written Pokémon battle? Also, if you're wondering why I chose Noibats, here's your answer: they're part dragon (cool), and part bat (absolutely friggin' adorable!)**


	3. Innocent Inu Endo!

_**Chapter Three:**_

_**Innocent Inu Endo!**_

* * *

**Afternoon (1:13 P.M.), Route 11**

Jackie had made good time on his bike, and, following the map, had left Route 12 and entered Route 11.

Route 12 hadn't given them that many problems, aside from a few wild Starly and Ratata, and, of course, the Youngster Joey, but his so called "highest quality" Ratata went down quickly to Sonja Tackles. Sonja almost learned Leech Life, but Jackie was content with her current moveset, so it was forgotten.

"Dammit!" Jackie swore as he rode on his bike, gazing at the different pokémon that scurried about on the route, "First order of business after I get that starter: buy more poké balls!" his mind began formulating various teams and strategies he could build.

He was so busy thinking, that he didn't realize he was about to run into another kid before it was too late.

"Watch out!"

"Huh?!" Jackie shrieked as his bike collided with the boy, sending them both flying to the ground, "Ow!" he groaned as he got up.

"Why?! Why?!" the other boy, a teenager about the same age as Jackie, with a blonde, shaved head, groaned as he stood up, "Wait! I think that fixed that knot in my back!" the boy exclaimed as he stood up and grabbed Jackie's hands, "Thank you, Mister!"

"Huh?" Jackie shook his dazed head, "Oh, you're welcome, and… uh… sorry?" he replied. _Oh great, I ran another kid over with my bike!_

"Aah~" the boy, wearing an orange sweater vest with a light-blue undershirt, grey sweats, and a black and blue backpack, sighed, "That feels great,"

Jackie sweat-dropped. _This guy's weird. _"So, what's your name?"

The boy looked up, "Oh, me?" he straightened up, "My name is Inu Endo!"

Jackie tilted his head in confusion, "Innuendo?"

Inu Endo shook his head, "No! It's Inu Endo!"

Jackie sweat-dropped, waves of pity washing over him. _Poor kid, his parents must have hated him._

"So," Inu Endo crossed his arms behind his head, "What are you doing here?"

"Me?" Jackie asked, "I'm on my way to Professor Cherry's lab to receive my starter Pokémon!"

Inu Endo's eyes widened, "You too?!"

Jackie blinked into surprise, "You're getting a starter, too?"

Inu nodded, "Yep! I came all the way from Amarillo City! I'm getting me a Squirtle!"

Jackie tilted his head in confusion, "Aren't the starters from Johto?"

Inu blinked, "Really? Oh well. I'll just get a Chikorita!"

Jackie sweat-dropped again, "Yeah, you do that,"

Inu reached into his backpack and pulled out a Poké Ball, "Hey, wanna have a Pokémon battle?"

"Huh?" Jackie started, "Really? Right now?"

Inu nodded vigorously, "Yeah!"

Jackie gulped, "I don't know, we should really head on to Rosa City,"

"Oh, come on!" Inu Endo jumped up and down excitedly, "Let's have a battle, it'll be fun,"

"Well, okay," Jackie reached into his hoodie's pocket and took out Sonja's Poké Ball, "I guess it'll be fun,"

"Yeah!" Inu cheered, and the boys separated, each walking 20 feet away from the other, "You ready?" he called over.

Gripping Sonja's Poké Ball tightly in his hand, Jackie nodded, "Yeah, this'll be a simple one on one match, agreed?"

"Agreed!" Inu Endo tossed his Poké Ball into the air, where it split open, releasing a red arc of energy that materialized in the form of a four-legged canine that had a gray body with a black face, throat, feet, and belly. Its eyes had yellow sclera and red irises. Its nose was red, and two small fangs were sticking out of its lower jaw. Its tail was long, with the base rumpled and shaggy. "Come out, Doggystyle!"

Jackie's arm drew back as he prepared to toss Sonja's Poké Ball, "Go, go- Wait!" he paused, "Did you just say, 'Doggystyle'?"

Inu Endo blinked in surprise, "Yeah, why?"

"Uhh… No reason," Jackie sweat-dropped. _Inu Endo, innuendo, fits him perfectly. Oh, well._

"Go, go, Sonja!" he tossed Sonja's Poké Ball into the air, where it split open, releasing a red arc of energy that materialized into the form of a small bat.

"Noooi bat! (Awww right!)" the Noibat growled.

Doggystyle, a Poochyena, bared his teeth into a snarl, "Pooch, yena yena poochy. (So, you're my opponent.)"

Sonja smiled, "Noi, bat bat noi bat! (Yep, you bet I am!)

"Let's go!" Jackie began, "Sonja, Screech!"

"NOOOOOIIIIIIIIII!" Sonja shrieked, hurting everyone's ears and sharply reducing Doggystyle's defense.

"Damn!" Inu Endo cursed as he held his ears in pain, "Fight it, Doggystyle! Use Howl!"

"AROOOOOO!" Doggystyle howled, increasing his attack power.

The two sound attacks colliding, canceling each other out!

"Aah~" Inu sighed, "Finally, the noise stopped," his eyes narrowed, "Now, use Yawn!"

"Yaaaaaw!" Doggystyle opened his mouth and let loose a yawn, causing a small purple cloud to exit his mouth and hit Sonja!

"Noi… bat… noi? (What's… going… on?)" Sonja's eyes drooped as she was suddenly overcome by an intense tiredness.

"Not good!" Jackie threw his arm to the side as he called out his next order, "Sonja, quick! Use Supersonic!"

"Noi… ('Kay…)" Sonja's mouth opened and began emitting bizarre sound waves that surrounded Doggystyle, ensnaring him in the throes of confusion. "Noi…bat… (Good…night…)" with that action done, Sonja's eyes closed, and she fell to the floor, asleep.

"Now's our chance!" Inu said excitedly, "Doggystyle, use Tackle!"

In response, Doggystyle charged forward, and rammed his head into a tree.

Inu blinked in surprise, "Wha-? Doggystyle!"

The Poochyena didn't listen. He was confused, as indicated by the ring of yellow birds flying over his head, and continued bashing his head into the tree.

"Now, Sonja, use Tackle!" Jackie ordered.

"Zzzzzzzz," Sonja snored.

Jackie sweat-dropped, "Well, this is going to take a while,"

15 minutes later…

"Pooch yena poochy… (My head hurts…)" Doggystyle, now free of confusion, collapsed to the floor from head trauma. The tree he had been bashing with his head creaked, and fell backwards.

"Aw, crud," Inu sighed as he recalled Doggystyle.

"Yaaaaaaaw!" Sonja yawned as she woke up and stretched her wings, "Noi? Noi noi bat? (Huh? What I miss?)"

Jackie sighed as he walked over and patted her on the head, "You did good, girl,"

"Noi? (Huh?)" she was confused, but accepted her partner's praise with a purr.

"Sonja, return," Jackie held out her Poké Ball.

Sonja dematerialized into red energy and was pulled back into her poké ball, which Jackie stuffed back into his hoodie's pocket.

"Oh well," Jackie turned to Inu Endo, "Hey, why don't we head over to Rosa City together?"

"Hmm?" Inu contemplated this for a second, "Nah, you've got a bike that'll get you there faster, I don't want to slow you down," he then grinned, and ran off, yelling, "I'll still beat you there, of course!"

Jackie sighed as he went over and mounted his bike, "What a weird boy,"

He had not rode more than 15 meters before he realized something, "Hey, wait!" he stopped, "He didn't give me my victory money!"

**Afternoon (1:27 P.M.), Route 9**

"I'm almost there!" the man said aloud as he continued along the path.

He was clad in a dark purple cloak with a large, white, spiral galaxy-shaped marking on the chest area. At the center of the spiral galaxy, a golden 'U' was emblazoned, within which was a purple eye. The cloak's hood overshadowed his eyes, but where his eyes would be, two golden eyes showed on the hood.

"Soon, those starters will be in the hands of the almighty Team Universal!"

* * *

**Who is this mysterious man? What is Team Universal? **

**And will we ever see Inu Endo again? I hope so.**


	4. Introducing: Team Universal!

_**Chapter Four:**_

_**Introducing: Team Universal!**_

* * *

**Afternoon (2:01 P.M.), Rosa City**

"Finally! I'm here!" Jackie exclaimed as he parked his bike next to the bike rack. "Now I can get me that starter!" after he chained his bike up, he wandered around the city, exploring it and asking for directions...

Later...

"Wow, that's a big mall," Jackie noted as he stared at the Mega Mall.

"It sure is!"

"Waah!" startled, Jackie turned to find a woman in a blue and white uniform.

"Oh?!" she blinked, "Did I scare you?"

Jackie stopped hyperventilating and nodded, "YES!"

"Oh!" she bowed in apology, "Please take this potion as a symbol of my apology," reaching into her uniform, she pulled out a spray-type bottle and handed it over to Jackie, "Well, see ya!" she walked off.

"Wait!" Jackie called out.

"Huh? What is it?" she turned around.

"Do you know where I can find Professor Cherry's Lab?" he asked.

"Oh, look for the Pokémon Center in the middle of the city, turn left, walk around until you see two tall buildings, about five stories tall each, and between them should be a large, white building. That's it. Can you remember that?"

Jackie nodded, "Yeah, thanks!"

The woman smiled, "Your welcome!" she watched as he turned and ran into the middle of the city, "Cute kid, his hair's kind of weird, though,"

Jackie followed her directions carefully, and, soon enough, he found himself in front of Professor Cherry's Lab.

"Finally!" absolutely giddy with excitement, he took a step forward, ready to enter the building.

But stopped when he heard a faint noise coming from behind the building, "Huh? What's that?"

The faint noise grew louder, and he soon heard the sound of someone swearing, "Dammit!"

Deciding to investigate, Jackie sneaked into the alley between the lab and one of the buildings.

When he reached the end of the alley, which was at least a dozen meters long, he turned and headed over to the lab's rear entrance.

To his surprise, he found an oddly clothed man trying to break in through the back door.

He wore a dark purple robe that overshadowed his eyes, but two golden eye-like markings appeared where his eyes would be on the hood. On the robe's chest area was a large, white, spiral galaxy-shaped marking that had a golden 'U' with a purple eye inside emblazoned within it.

"Dammit! Why won't it open!" the man exclaimed in anger. "I've already upset the boss when I let our prize get away! It was bad enough that it wasn't even the right one! If I don't get those starters," he shivered, "I don't even want to thank about it," he threw his head back and wailed, "Forgive me, Galaxy Lord Circinus!"

"Uhm…"

"What?!" the man turned to face Jackie, "Ah crap! I've been spotted!" muttering various curses, the man reached into his robe and pulled out a Poké Ball, "I can't leave any witnesses, so prepare to die!"

"Ah crud," Jackie gulped as he reached for Sonja's Poké Ball, "Go, go, Sonja!"

The ball split open, releasing an arc of red energy that materialized into the lavender bat, "Noi bat bat noi bat! (I'm ready to kick ass!)"

The man gritted his teeth, "Oh, great, a battle. Oh well, go! Baltoy!" the man threw his Poké Ball into the air, where it split open, releasing an arc of red energy that materialized into the form of a tan figurine made of clay. There were arching, red markings over its closed eyes. A red stripe encircled its body, forming a ring on its belly. Its two flat appendages vaguely resembled arms. A spike protruded from the top of its head and another, smaller spike, which served as its foot, emerged from under its body.

Overall, it resembled an ancient spin top.

"Bal, toy! (Hello, die!)" the Baltoy greeted them maliciously.

The man smirked, "This is it! Prepare to face the fury of Supervisor Virgo of Team Universal!"

Jackie tilted his head in confusion, a gesture Sonja imitated, "Team Universal?"

The man, Virgo, clamped his hands over his mouth, "Crap! I've said too much!" he turned to his Baltoy, "Quick, use Rapid Spin!"

Without saying a word, the Baltoy began spinning around on its axis, moving closer to Sonja all the while!

Jackie's eyes narrowed, and he grinned. He could see this guy wasn't that much of a battler. "Sonja, use Screech!"

"NOOOOOIIIIIIIIII!" Sonja shrieked, hurting everyone's ears and causing the Baltoy to stop as its body rung painfully from the sound waves and its defense was sharply reduced.

"Now, end it! Use Tackle!" Jackie ordered.

"Noooi bat! (Awww right!)" Sonja rammed into the Baltoy, knocking it out and sending it crashing into Virgo, who was slammed into the wall of the lab, right next to the door.

"Woo-hoo!" Jackie whooped victoriously, "That's another win for us!"

"Noooi bat! (Awww right!)" Sonja cheered.

"Gaah!" Virgo got up, roughly tossing aside his fainted Baltoy, "Dammit! Looks like I have no choice!" while the two were still celebrating their victory, he lifted the robe's hood up an inch, revealing his blue eyes, which began glowing, "Prepare to-"

He got no further, for at that moment the lab's back door swung open, slamming into his face and knocking him out.

"Hello? Is anyone out there?" asked the lab aide who had opened the door.

"Huh?" Jackie and Sonja turned to face her, "Uhh…"

Several minutes later…

Jackie and Sonja were led into the lab after having explained the situation to the aide, who had called the police to take care of Virgo.

"So, are you ready to meet the Professor?" the aide, Catherine, asked them, "I warn you, he's already having a meeting with another guest,"

"Yes!" Jackie, with Sonja perched on his shoulder, nodded vigorously, with Sonja mimicking him, "Take us to him!"

The aide smiled, "Okay!" she took them to a large doorway near the front of the room.

Opening it, she led them inside, "Professor Cherry! You have guests!"

Jackie and Sonja stepped inside, and gawked in disbelief at the man who was Professor Cherry…


	5. Professor Cherry

_**Chapter Five:**_

_**Professor Cherry**_

* * *

**Afternoon (5:01 P.M.), Professor Cherry's Lab**

Jackie and Sonja stared in amazement at the man who was Professor Cherry.

He was easily a head-and-a-half taller than Jackie was, and very well-built. His features were rugged, handsome, and youthful, quite odd for someone who was allegedly in their early forties. He carried himself with a strong aura of confidence.

He was the very picture of manliness.

A picture that was ruined by his long, curly, pink hair and bright pink lab coat.

Cherry turned to them, "Ah, you've arrived; I've been waiting for you. I have to admit, I expected you to get here sooner,"

Jackie's jaw dropped to the floor. Sonja tried to do the same, but failed and ended up falling off of his shoulder, "What. The. F*ck?"

Cherry's eyes narrowed in annoyance, "Watch your language! There are ladies present!" he turned to face his guest, "I'm sorry, Cheyenne,"

"Hmhmhm," the woman (who was in her late twenties) behind him walked forward, her thick, blue hair, which was longer than she was tall, trailed behind her. She was short, about two-and-a-half inches shorter than Jackie was, and just a tinsy bit on the plump side, "You don't need to be sorry," she turned to face Jackie, "So, you must be the last of the new trainers that Professor Cherry called here today," she held out her hand.

Jackie shook it, "It's a pleasure to meet you… uhm…"

"Cheyenne," the short-statured woman told him, "I'm the Gym Leader of Doradoville,"

"Ah," Jackie nodded in understanding, "Wait! Does that mean we can have a Gym battle here?"

"Hahahaha!" she laughed at him, "Of course not, silly! I don't have any Pokémon or Gym Badges on me!"

"Ah," Jackie sighed, "Good point,"

"So," Professor Cherry, fresh from having a conversation with his aide, Catherine, about how she was going to get a 200 pokédollar raise for her help in defeating Virgo, who had been sent to prison for interrogation, walked over to them, "Jackie, are you ready to receive your starter?"

Jackie and Sonja's eyes widened and shined in excitement, "Yes!"

"Hmhmhm," chuckling, the Professor lead them to another doorway, "Hey, Cheyenne, do you want to come watch?"

The Gym Leader nodded vigorously, "Of course I would! One of the reasons I came here for was to see the new trainers bond with their new Pokémon! How could I miss this one?" she grinned mischievously, "Especially since _he_'s the one young Jackie here will have to bond with,"

Jackie blinked in surprise as he was lead into a large room, at the center of which was a table with a single Poké Ball on top, "'_He'_? What are you talking about?"

"Heheh, yeah, about that," Cherry went over to the table and picked up the Poké Ball, "You see, remember how I said that I had 13 starters that I had received from Johto?"

Jackie nodded.

Professor Cherry scratched behind his head nervously, "Yeah, well, apparently, somehow, a Fennekin got mixed into the bunch by a shipping accident with a group of starters from Kalos,"

"Wait!" Jackie said excitedly, "Do you mean I'm getting a Fennekin?"

"Ha ha," Cherry laughed nervously, "No, the first trainer to get here, a young girl named Hazel, claimed it before anyone else could,"

Jackie's shoulders drooped and Sonja facefaulted, "Then what was the point of telling me that?"

The Professor blinked, "I have no idea," he answered honestly, unaware that he was providing some foreshadowing, "But, you were the last trainer to get here, so there's only one Pokémon left,"

His jaw dropped again, "Last? Who was the person to get here before me?"

"A young boy named Inu Endo, I believe," Cheyenne answered his question, "He chose a Chikorita and named her 'Master',"

"Oh," Jackie gritted his teeth in annoyance as Sonja flew up and perched on his shoulder. _That gut owes me money._

"Uh, anyway," Professor Cherry continued, "We only have one starter left, a Cyndaquil, but he's a little… uh…"

Jackie tilted his head in confusion, with Sonja imitating him, "He's a little what?'

"Uh…" swallowing nervously, the Professor handed him the Poké Ball, "Here, see for yourself,"

"Okay," feeling slightly apprehensive, he took the Poké Ball, and prepared to toss it, "Go, go-"

"Wait!" Cherry interrupted him.

Jackie blinked in annoyance, "What?"

"Oh, nothing," Cherry said reassuringly as he and Cheyenne, who was still smiling mischievously, backed away to a safe distance.

Shrugging it off, Jackie finished his throw, "Go, go, Cyndaquil!"

The ball split open, releasing a red arc of energy that materialized into the form of a small mammal whose features seemed to be taken from both a shrew (its general body shape) and an echidna (the fire on its back taking the place of an echidna's quills.) The bipedal creature had an upper body coated in bluish fur, while his lower body was covered in milky yellow fur. His forelimbs were clawless, while he had a single claw on each hind foot. His snout was long and thin and his eyes were shut, but by their positioning it appeared more like they were narrowed in grim determination.

The one other defining characteristic of this Cyndaquil was that it was unnaturally small, being several centimeters shorter than average.

_Why is he so small? _Jackie wondered but didn't say as he gently walked over to the fire starter.

Once he was within two feet of it, he got down on one knee, "Hi there, Cyndaquil, my name's Jackie, and I'm your new trainer,"

The Cyndaquil didn't answer. Instead, he turned around, and the flames on his back roared up, causing Sonja to fly away instinctively and Jackie to be set on fire.

"Thank (RG)God for plot armor, ugh…" Jackie, his form charred black, groaned, and fell to the floor, unconscious.

"Jackie!" Professor Cherry cried out as he rushed to his side.

"This'll be an entertaining bunch," Cheyenne, still smiling mischievously, shook her head in amusement as Sonja began berating the Cyndaquil for attacking their trainer.

**Evening (6:34 P.M.), Rosa City Prison**

"Ugh," Unimportant Cop #1 groaned, "He's at it again," he said, gesturing to the prisoner, Virgo, as he thrashed wildly in his cell.

"What's he all worked up about?" Unimportant Cop #2 asked.

"Please! Let me go!" Virgo, having been stripped of his Baltoy and Team Universal robe, and now wearing the standard prison jumpsuit, begged the cops.

"Yeah, let me just get the keys," Unimportant Cop #2 answered sarcastically.

_Not good, not good, not good!_ Virgo thought in despair as he frantically paced up and down his cell, his form drenched in cold sweat. _I've failed! I'll be labeled as a deserter! And then I'll disappear! Just like the others!_

No one knew what happened to them, but whenever someone had decided to leave Team Universal, or were banished for committing a great failure or act of sabotage, they were never heard from again. And now that he fell under that category, he feared for his life, dreading that every next second would be his last.

"Oi, he's mad," Unimportant Cop #1 noted.

"Yeah," Unimportant Cop #2 agreed.

"Hypno, Hypnosis!"

"Huh?" the two unimportant cops turned, getting only a vague glimpse of their attacker before falling asleep.

"Good, now that there out of the way…" the man recalled his Hypno and walked over to the cell.

He was a tall yet stout man, clad in a black robe similar to Virgo's purple one, with the spiral galaxy-shaped marking, with the emblazoned golden 'U' with the purple eye inside at its center, on the robe's chest region, but his entire robe was decorated with glowing dots arranged into different formations to represent the stars and their constellations.

"No!" Virgo screamed as backed away further into his cell, "Please! I'm sorry! Forgive me, Galaxy Lord Circinus!"

The man lifted the golden-eyed hood, revealing his face: he was a stern-looking man, assumedly in his mid-forties, with cold, piercing, ruby-red eyes. His hair was mainly a brownish red, with four, two inch long, blood red hair spikes emerging from just above his widow's peaked hairline.

Frowning in disgust, Galaxy Lord Circinus raised a single hand as his eyes began glowing.

The prison keys on the nearby table glowed with purple energy as they were telekinetically lifted into the air and into the prison lock. They twisted and the lock clicked.

The door glowed purple and opened itself.

"NO!" Virgo screamed once more as he backed even further away in the cell until he was backed up against the wall, "Please! Have mercy!"

Galaxy Lord Circinus walked forward until he was standing directly in front of Virgo, who was so terrified that he urinated himself, causing Circinus's eyes to narrow further in disgust, "Pathetic, you have failed at every chance we've given you. Your biggest failure was at your expedition to Unova, where you not only captured the wrong Pokémon, but allowed it to escape into the wild of Okam. Seeking to redeem yourself, you left without permission to steal the starters received by Professor Cherry, an ambitious goal as is, considering just who he is, but still, you've disobeyed orders, and have been captured. Only one fate awaits you," he raised his hand and placed it on Virgo's head.

"Please! I'm begging you! Have mercy! Please!" Virgo pleaded as he soiled himself for the second time in a row.

Circinus frowned in displeasure, "I'm not really a fan of mercy, it allows you to be taken advantage of, but orders are orders," the glow in his eyes intensified as two large veins bulged on his forehead, "Mind Crush!"

"GAAAAAH!" Virgo screamed as his eyes rolled into the back of his head and his mind was psychically attacked.

Circinus psychically violated Virgo's mind, systematically searching and deleting all the information relating to Team Universal.

When he was done, he lifted his hand off of Virgo's head, his eyes stopped glowing, and the large veins disappeared.

Virgo's eyes reappeared, and he collapsed onto the floor, murmuring, "Where… am I? What am I… doing… here?"

Satisfied with his work, Circinus left the cell, psychically closing the door and returning the keys to their original position.

He glared down at the two cops, who were still unconscious on the floor. He would have erased their memories of his presence, but he couldn't erase the memories of someone whose mind he didn't know that well.

As he left, he lifted the hood over his face.

_Virgo has been taken care of._

Another voice entered his head.

_Excellent work, Galaxy Lord Circinus._

The Galaxy Lord smiled as he continued on his way back to their base.

_Thank you, Grandmaster Andromeda._


	6. Runt of the Litter

**Wow, last chapter was a doozy! We met the first Galaxy Lord (which is basically Team Universal's version of the Admins or Sages) and met Jackie's starter. Sorry for the bit of mood whiplash though.**

* * *

_**Chapter Six:**_

_**Runt of the Litter**_

* * *

**Evening (6:45 P.M.), Professor Cherry's Lab**

"Ugh," Jackie groaned as he stirred into wakefulness.

"I think he's waking up!" Cheyenne noted.

"Oh, good," Professor Cherry sighed as Jackie awoke.

"Ow, what happened?" Jackie asked as he got out of the bed.

The Professor sighed, "You got burned by Runt,"

"Huh?" Jackie blinked in confusion, "Who's Runt?"

"That's Runt," Cheyenne answered, pointing over to a corner of the room where Sonja and the Cyndaquil were having a stare down.

Sonja glared at the Cyndaquil, "Noi bat noi noi bat! (How dare you hurt Jackie!)"

The Cyndaquil, Runt, shrugged uncaringly, "Cyn cynda? Quil cynda quil cyn cynda. (Who cares? He got my name wrong.)"

"Gah," Jackie groaned, "Did he really have to burn me?"

Cherry nodded, "Yeah, he does that whenever someone calls him anything other than 'Runt,'"

Jackie's eyes widened in disbelief, "What? Why?"

Cheyenne shrugged, "We don't know for sure, but from what we can tell, he apparently has some kind of inferiority superiority complex revolving around his status as a 'runt of the litter' kid,"

Jackie blinked, "'Runt of the litter'?"

The Gym Leader nodded, "Yeah, you know the deal: weakest of his family, not expected to survive, constantly belittled by others of his species, quite possibly abused by his parents, etcetera, etcetera,"

"Wow…" he stared at the Cyndaquil with pity, "Poor guy…"

Cherry sighed again, "Yeah, natural selection can be pretty cruel," his face took on a smile, "But, despite that, he survived! Now if only we could get him to be cooperative,"

"Hah!" Cheyenne snorted, "I've seen his type before. At heart, he's a proud warrior race kind of guy; all he cares about is proving himself through the thrill of battle,"

"Hmm?" Jackie stroked his chin in thought, "Is there anything I can do to fix that?"

"Not that I know of," Cherry answered.

"Hmhmhm," Cheyenne chuckled, "If you ask me, all he needs is a little bit of _wink wink nudge nudge_,"

Jackie, not getting the reference or meaning of the gesture, blinked in confusion, "What?"

"Uhm… just forget about it," Cherry advised him as he put his hands on Jackie's shoulders, "Just look, raising this guy is going to be difficult, but I know you can do it. I have faith that you can break through Runt's pride and arrogance, and explore and mend his issues. In the end, you'll both be better for it, trust me,"

Jackie swallowed nervously, "You really have that much faith in me?"

"Hmhmhm," Cheyenne chuckled again, "Of course we do!"

"Okay then, I'll do it!" Jackie shouted resolutely.

The Professor smiled, "Good, but you're going to need this," he handed him Runt's Poké Ball.

"Let's do this," Jackie slowly made his way over to where Runt and Sonja were bickering. Once he was within two feet of them, he got down on his knees, "Hey, guys, how ya doin'?"

"Noi! (Jackie!)" Sonja flew up and tackled him in the chest, "Noi noi bat noi! (Thank Arceus you're alright!)"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm okay," he told her gently as he patted her head, causing her to let out a purr, "Now, how are you, Runt?" he asked the Cyndaquil.

Runt looked up, but his grim expression didn't change, "Cyn cynda quil cynda? (What do you want?)"

Jackie sighed, "Look, I know you don't like me, you probably hate my guts just for existing," Runt nodded, "But from here on out, we're gonna be partners, so we need to work together. It'll be hard at first, but once we get in sync, it'll be smooth sailing. We'll be able to take on any obstacle that gets in our way," he held out Runt's Poké Ball, "So, what do you say? Partners?"

The Cyndaquil looked down as he contemplated his options.

_If I disagree, I might be released back into the wild, where I can train to my heart's content._

His stomach growled.

_But I'll also have to catch my own food._

He sighed.

_Then again, if I go through with this, and he proves successful… I might have my chance at the big leagues. _His squinty eyes gleamed. _All the fights I could have, all the battles I could win, all the power I could gain!_

"Uhh… Runt?" Jackie called to the fire shrew.

"Cyn? (Huh?)" Runt blinked as he was brought back to reality. _Bah, just when I was getting to the good part. _With a sigh, he shook away the trail of drool forming on his mouth, "Cyn cyn quil cynda quil cyn cynda quil. (I guess if it's for my best interests.)"

With a sigh of resignation, he walked over and touched his nose to the Poké Ball, which split open, surrounded him in a red light, and dematerialized him into a mass of red energy that was pulled inside of the poké ball.

"Yeah!" Jackie jumped up and lifted the Poké Ball high into the air, "I caught a Cyndaquil!"

Sonja flew up and perched on his head, her wings spread out, "Noi bat noi! (That he did!)"

Jackie held the Poké Ball in front of his chest, "I don't know if you can hear me, Runt, but thank you! I promise, I won't let you down!"

"That's good to hear!" Cheyenne walked over and patted him on the back.

"Yes, it is," Cherry nodded as he opened a drawer beside the bed that Jackie had been sleeping in, "Now all you need is this," he presented a red, rectangular object to Jackie.

Jackie's eyes lit up, "Y-You mean?"

The professor smiled as Jackie took the object out of his hands, "Yep, it's your very own Pokédex!"

"Yes!" Jackie cheered as he stuffed the Pokédex into his hoodie's pocket. He turned to the Professor and Gym Leader, "So, where do I go from here?"

Cheyenne held out her hand, "Here, let me see your map,"

Jackie handed it to her and she opened it, revealing the Region of Okam.

A single giant river, the Agua River, cut through the region, leaving both halves, commonly referred to as West Okam and East Okam, separated, but connected at only one place where the river ran underground before emerging out the other side, Victory Road.

"Right now, we're here," she told him while pointing to Rosa City, which was in West Okam, "and the place you should head to," she drew her finger up to where the river joined the sea above Okam, and not but a single piece of land jutted out to face it, "is Cape Blanco. They have a Gym Leader there, and you and Sonja should fit in fine,"

"Really?!" Jackie asked excitedly.

"Yes, really," the long, blue-haired woman nodded as she handed him back the map.

"You hear that, Sonja?" he asked the Noibat perched on his head, who nodded, "Let's go!"

"Wait, it's getting late, so why don't you stay the night?" Cherry suggested.

"Ugh," Jackie groaned, "Fine, but we're leaving first thing in the morning,"

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Now that you've been properly introduced, what do you think of Runt? **

**BTW, I'm sorry if all the details about his past felt kind of rushed, but I can't make his backstory and issues as plot-relevant as Catastromon's (see Digimon: Chaos Downfall.)**

**-RGGod, out!**


	7. Grandmaster Andromeda

_**Chapter Seven:**_

_**Grandmaster Andromeda**_

* * *

**Morning (7:23 A.M.), Professor Cherry's Lab**

"Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw!" Professor Cherry awoke with a yawn as he got out of bed.

_Well, yesterday sure was interesting. _He reflected as he went to the bathroom mirror and began combing his luxurious, pink hair. _It was fun having Jackie for the night._

"PROFESSOR!"

"Huh?" he walked out of the bathroom to be greeted by his aide, Catherine, "What is it?"

"It's all over the news!" Catherine told him frantically, "Our police station was assaulted last night! All the police were found passed out on the ground!"

"What?!" Cherry shrieked as he dropped his comb, "Did the prisoner do it or did someone break him out?"

The aide shook her head, "No, that's just the thing! Virgo was still there in his cell, but he kept saying his name was Nigel, not Virgo, and that he had no idea what we were talking about when asked about Team Universal!"

"WHAT?!" the professor yelled as he turned around and placed a hand on his forehead. _I don't believe it! Every time, it always happens! We're no closer now than we were when the investigation first started! Every time we capture someone from Team Universal, they either break out or wind up with no memory relating to Team Universal. Dammit! I'll have to report this to Kite…_

He turned back to his aide, "Catherine… does Jackie know about this?"

"Uhh… about that, Professor," she swallowed nervously, "He left forty minutes ago,"

Cherry froze.

"Uhh… Professor Cherry?" the aide asked nervously.

"Arceus dammit!"

**Morning (7: 42 A.M.), Route 8**

Route 8 was a calm, serene forest close to the Agua River. Several times Jackie had actually seen the mighty river in areas where the trees thinned.

He had left Rosa City almost half an hour ago, and had made good progress since.

Before he had left, he made sure to buy five Poké Balls from the mall, bringing his funds down to 2500 pokédollars.

He had run into several wild Pokémon along the way, but they were quickly defeated by Sonja or Runt, whose moveset consisted of Tackle, Leer, Smokescreen, and Ember.

He didn't catch any of the Pokémon he ran into, because he planned on saving his Poké Balls for something he really wanted to catch and knew that he was going to use.

After all, who would be cruel enough to steal a pokémon from its home, and never even use it afterward?

The main problem he had been dealing with so far was Runt.

The small Cyndaquil was starved for battle and at times proved to be very uncooperative and stubborn. He had already gotten hurt in a battle with a wild Surskit and Jackie had to use a potion to heal him up.

Jackie sighed, "I hope I can fix those issues he has,"

"Noi bat noi noi. (I hope so too.)" Sonja, who was perched on his head, agreed.

He continued on along the route, and, within an hour, he was out of the woods.

"Aah!" he exclaimed in excitement, "Finally! We're here!" he ran forward, racing into the town of Cape Blanco.

"Gym Leader, here I come!"

**Morning (7:45 A.M.), Unknown**

She sighed in relief as she rested at the pond's edge.

She had eluded her captors, for the time being, anyways.

She got up and stretched her legs; they seemed to be working fine, even after all those hours of running.

With a sigh, she walked over to the pond and drank from its waters.

She would have to run again soon, since it was no doubt that they were still pursuing her through this strange land.

**Morning (7:50 A.M.), Team Universal Base**

"Greetings," Galaxy Lord Circinus bowed as he entered the room, "Hmm?" he gazed around, only one other person was in the room with him.

"Greetings," his fellow Galaxy Lord bowed back.

He scowled, "Where is the Grandmaster?"

"Probably on another excursion to the stars," the other Galaxy Lord answered with a shrug, "I hear you were successful in taking care of the failure,"

"Yes, it was almost too easy," he stared down at her, "And where is Cigar?"

She blinked in surprise, "You didn't know? He was sent off to Amarillo City on a mission, didn't the Grandmaster tell you?"

His eyes narrowed in annoyance, "No, I guess not. Oh well. What about you?"

The female Galaxy Lord inspected her nails, "Oh, nothing much, although I hear the Grandmaster will have a new assignment for me shortly,"

Circinus gritted his teeth in barely controlled rage, "I see,"

_How come everyone else got the important missions, while all I got was a simple memory erasing job?_

"So," he glared at her, "How goes the whole 'retrieval' operation?"

She looked up and frowned, "Not too well, if it keeps going on like this, one of us will have to step up,"

He sighed, "That would be most unfortunate,"

_Greetings._

Both Galaxy Lords looked up as the voice entered their heads.

A being wearing a long, flowing, pitch-black robe levitated in above them.

The pitch-black robe somewhat resembled theirs, with the large spiral galaxy-shaped marking, inside of which a golden 'U' with a purple eye inside was emblazoned, on the chest, but what differed was that this spiral galaxy was moving, rotating around the golden 'U'.

Aside from the spiral galaxy on the robe's chest region, various other galaxies, stars, and constellations decorated the robe, all in motion.

The robe's sleeves were long and trailing, similar to a grim reaper's.

On the robe's hood, instead of two golden eyes like most of the members of their ranks, were two unmoving objects: a sun and a moon, each with a purple eye inside. Above those was a third eye, larger than first two, and glowing in a golden light.

"Welcome, Grandmaster Andromeda," the two Galaxy Lords bowed before their leader.

_Thank you, my Galaxy Lords. _The Grandmaster lifted the robe's hood, revealing a strange illusion of a mask.

Right where the left eye would be was a black hole, which was surrounded by various astronomical objects such as nebulae, star systems, and interstellar clouds…


	8. The First Gym Battle Begins!

_**Chapter Eight:**_

_**The First Gym Battle Begins!**_

* * *

**Morning (8:21 A.M.), Cape Blanco**

The first thing Jackie had done upon entering the city was head to the Pokémon Center, parking his bike outside.

"Here you go," Nurse Joy handed him a platter holding his two Poké Balls.

"Thanks, Nurse Joy!" Jackie thanked her as he retrieved his two Poké Balls and headed for the exit.

He was about to step out of the door when two young boys charged in and slammed into him, "OW!"

"Ohh, my head," the first boy complained as he got up.

"Watch where you're goin'!" Jackie snapped at them as he stood up, but noticed something, "Oh no! What happened to your Pokémon?!"

Each of the two boys was holding a very injured pokémon.

"We ran into trouble at Marrón Cavern!" the second boy, in his arms a terribly battered Sableye, explained.

"Yeah!" the first boy, a beaten and bloody Nincada held in his arms, nodded.

Jackie blinked in confusion, "What kind of trouble?"

The second boy shivered at the memory, "It was some kind of mutant Mawile!"

"What?!" Jackie asked, "A mutant?"

The first boy nodded vigorously, "It was really big! And it beat up our Pokémon!"

Jackie couldn't question them further, for at that time they ran up to the Nurse.

"Wow," Jackie spoke in amazement, "An actual mutant Pokémon, I hope I don't run into that," he frowned as he tempted fate.

With a smile, he held up Runt's Poké Ball, "Well, at least you'll have the advantage if we do,"

With that, he left the Pokémon Center and explored the town, asking for directions to the Gym.

He finally received these directions when someone pointed out that it was right behind him.

"Finally!" he looked up at the Gym with sparkling eyes, "Let's do this!"

He tried to run through the doors, but crashed into them instead, and fell back on his rear, "Ow!"

He looked up, and, for the first time, noticed a sign on the door that read: gone fishing.

"No…" Jackie whispered, "Arceus dammit!"

With nothing else to do, he headed to the edge of the cape and sat down, staring off into the sea. There were several fishermen nearby, but anyone of them could be the Gym Leader.

"Darn it," Jackie sighed.

"What's the matter?"

"Huh?" he turned to find a very tan young man of about seventeen years holding a Good Rod. He wore a white fishing hat that covered his black hair, an ash bark brown fishing vest with a plain grey undershirt, and indigo angler pants, "Oh, nothing much,"

"Nothing can't make you sad, boy," an older gray-haired man of 67 years who was sitting next to the young man asked as he reeled in his Super Rod, "Dammit! Another shoe!"

"Hahaha!" the black-haired man laughed as he got up, "Well, we won't be finding any Magikarp or Skrelp here," he looked down to Jackie, "So, what's really eatin' at you?"

Jackie sighed again as he got up, "Well, I really wanted to fight the Gym Leader here, but they weren't at the Gym,"

"Hmm?" the man stroked his chin, his purple eyes gleaming, "Well, let's fix that," he held out a hand to Jackie, "Come on, let's battle,"

Jackie blinked in surprise, "Huh? Why?"

"Haven't you figured it out yet?" the young man smiled, "The name's Chase, the Cape Blanco Gym Leader,"

"Really?!" Jackie shivered in excitement.

"Well, duh," the older man admonished him as he got up, "Seriously, some random guy talks to you after you fail to meet someone, who else could it be?"

"Hmhmhm," Chase chuckled as they walked towards the Gym, "Hey, Grandpa, would you mind being our referee?"

"Of course," the older man answered as he opened the Gym's doors.

**Morning (8:52 A.M.), Cape Blanco Gym**

"So, what are the rules?" Jackie asked as he took his place at the left side of the field.

"The same as any other league sanctioned event," Chase explained from the right side of the field, "Okay, how many Pokémon do you have?"

Jackie reached into his hoodie's pocket and took out Sonja's Poké Ball, "Two,"

Chase grinned as he took out two Poké Balls, "Okay, then, let's use two each!" his grin widened, "Oh! I know, how about a double battle?!"

"Sounds interesting!" Jackie answered as he took out Runt's Poké Ball. _I just hope he listens to me._

"Then let's do it!" Chase tossed up the two Poké Balls, both of which split open, releasing arcs of red energy that materialized into two Pokémon, "I choose you: Dina, Nog!"

Dina was a Deino, a small, blue, quadrupedal dragon whose head and neck were covered in black fur that concealed everything but her mouth.

Nog was a Bagon, a bipedal, blue dragon with a large, round snout, triangular eyes, and a yellow lower jaw with two upwards protruding teeth. Three thick, gray ridges covered the top of his head, and continued downwards to cover his neck as well. He had stubby arms and two-toed feet.

Jackie smiled as he tossed up his two Poké Balls, which split open, releasing their occupants, "Go, go, Sonja, Runt!"

"Cyn cynda quil! (It's fightin' time!)" Runt roared as he was released.

"Noooi bat! (Awww right!)" Sonja materialized in the air.

Her ears twitched, and, faster than anyone could react, flew past Dina, startling her and causing a blue piece of fruit to fall out of her neck fur.

"Huh?" Jackie blinked in surprise as Sonja flew back over to his side, "That's an Oran Berry!"

"Hmm?" Chase stroked his chin in contemplation, "So she has the Frisk ability? Well, there goes the element of surprise,"

Jackie smirked, "Way to go, Sonja!"

"Noi bat noi, noi noi bat noi! (Oh stop it, you're making me blush!)" Sonja replied in embarrassment at the bad habit her ability caused.

Chase's grandpa walked in-between the two trainers outside of the ring. In his hands he held two flags, one red and one green, "Okay, lads, here are the rules: each trainer can only use two Pokémon, and the match is over when both of a trainer's Pokémon are knocked out. Got it?" he asked them, and they nodded, "Good, then begin!"


	9. VS - Cape Blanco Gym Leader!

_**Chapter Nine:**_

_**VS - Cape Blanco Gym Leader: Chase!**_

* * *

**Morning (8:54 A.M.), Cape Blanco Gym**

"Sonja! Use Tackle on Dina! Runt! Use Leer on Nog!" Jackie gave out the first order.

"Noi bat bat! (Let's do this!)" Sonja flew forward and rammed into the Deino.

"Cynda cyn! (Take this!)" Runt, however, completely ignored his orders and tackled the Bagon to the ground!

"Runt!" Jackie cried out in exasperation, "I told you to use Leer!"

Chase frowned, "It's no good if a Pokémon won't listen to you," he held out a fist, "Dina! Dragonbreath! Nog! Headbutt!"

"Dei deino dei deino dei! (Get a load of this!)" Before Sonja could get out of range, Dina opened her mouth and blasted her with a gust of breath.

"Noooi!" Sonja shrieked as the super-effective dragon-type move forced her to the ground.

Nog, who had been knocked to the floor by Runt's Tackle, flipped back up on his feet, bent down, and launched himself headfirst at Runt, slamming him in the chin and sending him a clear several feet away!

"Cyn… cynda! (Damn… it!)" Runt cursed as he got up and the Bagon retreated to a safe distance.

_Not good! _Jackie thought as he went over his options in his head, "Sonja! Use Supersonic on Dina! Runt! Please, use Smokescreen on Nog!"

"Noi bat! (Take this!)" Sonja got up and flew towards the Deino, opening her mouth and emitting bizarre sound waves that confused her target.

"Dei dei deino dei? (I'm a pwetty pwincess?)" a ring of yellow birds flew around Dina's head as she stumbled around in confusion.

Runt, as per usual, ignored the orders in favor of his own, more straightforward tactics. "CYNDAAAA! (BUUUURN!)" using Ember, he spat a wad of small flames at Nog, who, with his resistance to fire, stood strong.

"Runt!" Jackie screamed at the runty Cyndaquil, "I said 'Use Smokescreen!'"

The Cyndaquil turned around to glare at him, "Cyn cynda quil quil cyn cynda quil cynda cyn quil cynda! (I have no use for a move that deals no damage!)"

The Bagon blinked at him in confusion, "Bag bag bagon bag gon bag bag. Gon bagon bag bagon gon bag gon bag. (You should really listen to your trainer. Those would have been some pretty effective orders.)"

Runt turned to glare at Nog, "Cynda cyn cynda quil! (Stay out of this!)"

The Bagon shrugged, "Bag bagon gon bagon. (Just trying to help.)"

Chase smiled as he gave his next orders, "Dina! Focus Energy, then, Dragonbreath! Nog! Leer, then, Bite, and finish it with Headbutt!"

"Dei, deino! (Kay, boss!)" despite the confusion, Dina managed to steady herself, taking in a deep breath as she focused her thoughts, raising her critical hit ratio.

Then, fighting through the confusion, against the somewhat arrogant Noibat's expectations, she managed to blast Sonja with a gust of breath.

"Nooooooi!" Sonja shrieked as she was blasted from the air to the ground. "Noi… bat noi… (It's… not over…)" she weakly raised her head before passing out.

Meanwhile, the Bagon shot Runt a death glare so wicked that the Cyndaquil actually took a step back as his defense was lowered, then, Nog rushed forward and bit down hard on Runt's nose.

"CYNDAAAAAAA!" Runt screamed in pain as the Bagon lifted him up by the nose and threw him away.

"Bag bagon bag gon! (This is the end!)" Nog rushed after the flung-away Cyndaquil, and, when he way two feet away, jumped up and struck him with his head, sending Runt flying even further away until he crashed into the Gym's wall.

"SONYA! RUNT!" Jackie screamed in worry.

Chase's grandpa lowered the green flag and lifted up the red flag, "Runt and Sonja are unable to battle! The victory goes to Chase!"

Jackie fell to his knees as he recalled Sonja and Runt, "I… lost…"

**Morning (11:25 A.M.), Cape Blanco Pokémon Center**

Jackie sat on the waiting bench beside Chase and his grandpa as he waited for his pokémon to be healed; his hands held over his face, "I can't believe I lost my first Gym battle…"

Chase patted him on the back, "Don't worry, buddy, a lot of people lose their first Gym battle, it's what sets them up to come back stronger and more prepared,"

"Though most lose because of their inexperience or lack of strategy. You seem to have a little experience, and good strategy, but that's useless if own Pokémon won't listen to you," Chase's grandpa told him.

"Grandpa!" Chase shot him a glare.

Jackie removed his hands and shook his head, "No, he's right. I need to have better control of Runt. I know he's had a rough upbringing, but that's no excuse for him to act like that," he stood up, his willpower reinvigorated, "Chase! After Runt and Sonja are healed up, let's have a rematch!"

"Hahahaha! That's the spirit boy!" Chase's grandpa got up and patted him on the back.

"Hmhmhm," chuckling, Chase stood up, "I'd love to accept your challenge, but I think you need to put in some more training first,"

Jackie looked down, knowing that the Gym Leader was right.

Noticing this, Grandpa put a hand on his shoulder, "Listen, kid, I have an idea. Let me see your map,"

Jackie looked at him in confusion, but did as told.

Grandpa took the map and opened it, revealing the two halves of Okam, "Right now, we're all here," he pointed to Cape Blanco, "For your next destination, I recommend going through Marrón Cavern," his finger moved over and traveled along the cave southwest of the Cape, "and west along Route 10," his finger moved to the left of the route until it reached a square that represented a city, "Until you come to Amarillo City, there you can battle the Gym Leaders: Tim and Tika, and their Electric-types," he held the map out to Jackie, "So… what do you say?"

Awaiting his answer, they watched him carefully.

His hand reached out and grabbed the map, and a wide smile spread across his face, "I'd say that that sounds like a plan to me!"

Chase grinned as he gave him a thumbs up, "Now that's what I like to hear!"

"Sir," Nurse Joy called over, "Your Pokémon are all healed up," they walked over as she presented Jackie with his Poké Balls, which he put into his hoodie's pocket.

"Thanks," he gave her his gratitude as he turned back to Chase and Grandpa, "Well, see ya! I'm off to Amarillo!"

"Hmhmhm," Grandpa chuckled as he and Chase followed him, "Hey, wait up! At least let us see you off!"


	10. Breaking Pride

_**Chapter Ten:**_

_**Breaking Pride**_

* * *

**Afternoon (12:12 P.M.), Marrón Cavern**

After he had bid farewell to Chase and his grandpa, he had entered the cavern, and made good progress since.

Despite his expectations of meeting various Rock-types, the type of Pokémon Jackie found most abundant in the cave were Steel-types.

He found little complaint in having Runt battle the various steel-types that attacked them, and he especially found it helpful whenever he took down a Magnemite, since that would raise his Sp. Atk Evs.

Be this as it may, the overwhelming assault of the Steel-types in conjunction with the Cyndaquil's lust for battle soon depleted Jackie of all his healing items.

"You're doing great, Runt!" Jackie cheered the Cyndaquil on as they continued down the cavern, the fire on his back providing their seeing light as Jackie pedaled slowly behind him on his bike. _Even if you're still not listening to me._

"Cyn cynda quil cynda. (Of course I am.)" Runt answered arrogantly, but his arrogance was just a cover up for the self-loathing he felt after suffering his first defeat. _I could have won if Jackie hadn't… no. _He shook his head in dismissal of the thought. _Jackie didn't do anything that could have caused me to lose, blaming him would be stupid. _

To this, he would admit, that it was his own fault? He would never admit that, he was far too stubborn.

He grimaced. _I need to get stronger! To do that, I'll need stronger attacks. Ones that will bring my foes to their knees in agony! An attack that won't hurt my enemies is of no use to me!_

Jackie smiled as he pedaled along, "We're almost there, Runt! Just a little more to go!"

"Hmhmhm," the sound of chuckling reached their ears.

"Huh?" Jackie and Runt looked up at the source of the chuckling: it was a Mawile, who stood atop a rocky outcropping.

Mawile was a bipedal pokémon with a pale, yellow body and black arms and feet. Its legs were covered in a thick, fur-like material that resembled some kind of bell bottom pants or a skirt. The top of its head had a black, hair-like covering with an inverted widow's peak and two floppy ear-like protrusions. Its defining feature, however, was the pair of large, black jaws that emerged from the back of the black covering. There was an oval yellow spot on the upper jaw, which had six teeth in comparison to the lower jaw's four. This was not to say that it didn't have a mouth on its face.

With the smile of a cat, the Mawile hopped down in front of him, her red eyes scanning over them.

Jackie didn't know much about Mawiles, but he could tell there was something abnormal about this one.

He opened and held out his Pokédex, which read out the entry for Mawile as the data appeared onscreen.

**Mawhile, the Deceiver Pokémon. Its steel jaws are actually horns that are fully articulated. Don't be fooled by its cute appearance, or you won't last ten seconds.**

Ignoring the spelling error in the Pokédex entry, Jackie's eyes settled on a particular piece of information that was listed.

The normal height of a Mawile was 0.6 meters metric, 2'00" standard.

But this Mawile was more than a foot taller, standing at 1 meter metric, 3'03" standard.

Jackie gulped. _So this is must be that mutant Mawile those guys were talking about. _

He let out a sigh, "At least Runt has a 4x type advantage, so a few Embers should take her out."

Runt glared at the large Mawile, who was more than twice his size, "Cynda quil cyn cynda quil? (What are you looking at?)"

The Mawile, who was female, glared back at him, still smiling like a kitten, "Ma, mawile. (You, shorty.)"

The small Cyndaquil gritted his teeth in annoyance, "Cynda, cynda cyn, quil cynda quil cynda cyn cynda quil cynda cyn! (Yeah, I'm short, but that doesn't mean I can't kick your ass!)

"Hmhmhm," the female Mawile chuckled again, "Ma wile mawile ma ma, wile mawile ma wile, mawile wil ma ma mawile ma wile. (Be that as it may, you're in my territory, so I must ask you to leave.)"

Runt bared his teeth, "Cynda quil! Cyn cynda quil! (Screw that! It's fightin' time!)" using Tackle, he rushed forward and jumped at her.

Only to stopped in his tracks by her right hand!

"C-Cynda?! (W-What?!)" Runt and Jackie stared at her in amazement.

Her cat smile widened into a brutal grin, "Ma? Wile ma mawile ma ma wile wile? (What? Did you really think that would work?)" her grip on his head tightened, causing him to shriek in pain as she lifted him up and threw him at the rocky outcropping that she had appeared from.

"RUNT!" Jackie screamed as he pedaled over to where his partner had slammed into the rocks, "Are you okay?"

"Cynda… quil! (Of… course!)" Runt grunted as he picked himself up, his body covered in bruises, "Cynda cyn cynda quil! (I'm not done yet!)"

The Mawile's brutal grin stretched into a sadistic smile, "Ma wile? Ma while ma wile mawile, mawile ma ma: wile wil ma wile ma, ma wil mawile ma mawile. Wile ma wil mawile ma wile ma mawile ma wile wile ma ma! (Oh really? I find your arrogance amusing, but know this: when I'm through with you, you're going to be crying. I will make you cry like the winy little bitch you really are!)" she charged at them, and Runt, shaking off his injuries, rushed forward to meet her.

"Runt!" Jackie called out worriedly to his partner, "Please, use Ember! She's a dual-type Steel and Fairy! It'll do twice the damage! Use it with Smokescreen!"

Runt smiled as he heard this. _Steel and Fairy? I didn't know that._ _Well, well, well, he's finally proving useful. _As they were about to collide, he jumped above her. _But I don't need a move that won't hurt my opponent! _"CYNDAAAA! (BUUUURN!)" he spat out a wad of fire at the Mawile, consuming her in flames.

He and Jackie smirked in victory.

And thus were justifiably surprised when the Mawile jumped upwards out of the flames, grabbed the dumbstruck Runt, and threw him down to the cold, hard, rock-covered ground.

"RUNT!" Jackie yelled to his partner in worry as the Mawile came back down to earth using Iron Head to slam into Runt's exposed belly, knocking the wind from him.

Grinning mischievously, the Mawile jumped back as the brutally battered Cyndaquil forced himself to his feet, "Ma wile? (Done yet?)"

Gasping for breath, and ignoring the pleading orders from his trainer to stop, Runt glared down at her, "Cynda cyn… cynda! (Of course… not!)"

"That's it!" Jackie yelled as he took out Runt's Poké Ball, "Runt, RETURN!" the ball split open, releasing an arc of red energy that streaked towards Runt, who avoided it by charging at the Mawile! "RUNT!"

His charge, which consisted of little more than a limping jog, drew him closer to the Mawile, "Cynda... cyn... cynda quil! (I… won't… be defeated!)" he gasped as he strained his muscles to move forward.

The Mawile's mischievous grin stretched back into her sadistic smile, "Ma wile mawile. (Let's fix that.)" she ran forward, intercepting his charge, and, using Play Rough, rushed around him, dealing all sorts of devastating blows that caused a dust cloud to form around them, prohibiting Jackie from seeing what was happening.

He was lucky he couldn't.

The Mawile dealt Runt five strikes.

The first strike was a slash across his chest with her three claws.

The second strike she spun him around and belted him on the head, not hard enough to knock him out, but just enough to knock him to the ground.

The third strike she stomped her foot down on his back.

The fourth strike she lifted him up by the nose and slammed him down face-up on the ground.

The fifth and final strike she stomped him again, this time on his groin, eliciting a long, drawn-out scream of agony, which she openly relished as the dust cloud around them thinned.

With the dust cleared, Jackie could finally see the aftermath of Mawile's attack.

He wished he hadn't.

Runt was lying face-up in a beaten, bloody heap, sobbing piteously, tears of pain and agony running down his face as the giant Mawile stood triumphantly over him, ready to deliver the finishing blow.

"RUNT! USE SMOKESCREEN NOW OR YOU'LL DIE!" Jackie, drenched in cold sweat, screamed at the top of his lungs, causing the Mawile to turn her attention to him for a split second.

That split second was all Runt needed.

He breathed out a large cloud of smoke that obscured her vision, "Kaa, kaa!" surrounded by black smoke, she broke into a coughing fit, barely avoiding being run over by Jackie's bike as he pedaled past, grabbing Runt as he passed by.

When the smoke cloud cleared, she stared at the direction they had disappeared in, the opposite of where they had entered, "Mawile ma ma wile. (So they got away.)" she smiled cheerfully as she went on her own way, "Ma wile mawile wile ma wile, ma ma mawile wile ma! (At least I defended our territory, Daddy will be so proud!)"

Jackie pedaled as fast as he could, trying desperately to reach the cavern's exit. He held the injured Runt tightly in one hand, both so he could keep an eye on his condition and to add extra impetus to his peddling feet.

"Don't worry, Runt," Jackie said soothingly, "I'll get you to a Pokémon Center A.S.A.P!" he looked up, and a smile spread across his face, "Look! I can see a light!"

Runt weakly raised his head. _I'm... sorry... Jackie..._

**Afternoon (1:13 P.M.), Route 10 (Outside of Marrón Cavern)**

"Well, ain't that a sight!" a young man in his mid-twenties said aloud as he walked across the route, gazing at the scenery. He stopped in front of a raised hole on a ramp-like structure in front of a cliff, "Ah… Marrón Cavern, such sweet memories, right, girl?"

"Blaz blaz! (Damn straight!)" the fiery chicken nodded in agreement.

The man frowned, "I wish we could have helped out at the Ranch we just passed," his shoulders drooped as he sighed, "Oh well, orders are orders,"

Just then, the sound of screaming reached their ears.

The man tilted his head in confusion, "Yo, Inferna, did you hear-"

He didn't get to say anything else, for at that moment, Jackie burst through the hole on his bike and launched off the ramp straight towards him, "Whooooah!"

The man's eyes widened as the bike came down at him, "OH SH*T!"

The bike never made contact.

There was a flash of blue light, and the bike was incinerated before collision.


	11. Hero

_**Chapter Eleven:**_

_**Hero**_

* * *

**Afternoon (1:14 P.M.), Route 10**

"Ow, my head!" Jackie groaned as he got up, "What did I-?" he looked down; he had landed on another man… in a rather suggestive position, "S-Sorry!"

The man shook his head as Jackie got off of him, "Na, nothing to be sorry about," he got up.

The man was almost as tall as Professor Cherry, with wild, long, spiky dark blue hair, and deep green eyes that shined like emeralds on his pale face. There was a single, large, x-shaped scar on the right side of his face. He wore a white varsity jacket with black sleeves, gold trimmings, two pockets, a poké ball symbol on the right side of the chest, and an extended turndown collar; a pair of baggy, black cargo pants that were held up by a white belt that had six clips, a Poké Ball attached to each one; and a pair of black, worn and aged boots.

Jackie sighed in relief, but quickly went back to panicking again as he remembered his original purpose, "Wait! Where's Runt?!"

The man tilted his head in confusion, "Who's Runt?"

"Blaze blaze iken? (Is this him?)"

Jackie turned to find a bipedal, chicken-like warrior. The majority of her body was red with accents of beige, yellow, and gray. Behind her head were large, downwards facing, beige, hair-like feathers that formed a V-shape and went down her neck and chest to form a vest of sorts. Her semicircular eyes had yellow sclera and blue irises. Her small, red face had a V-shaped crest and a mouth similar to a hooked beak. Her hands were featherless, grey, and three-fingered. Her strong, muscular legs ended in a coat of shaggy, yellow feathers that hid her small, three-clawed toes.

In her arms she held the injured Runt.

"Thank Arceus!" Jackie rushed over and gently took Runt back into his arms. He looked around, "Now, where's my-" he stopped when he caught sight of a pile of ash, "-bike?!"

How had this happened? The last thing he remembered before crashing down on the man was a blue light. Did the Blaziken do it? That seemed most likely.

"Dammit!" Jackie cursed as he turned around and ran westwards in the direction of Amarillo City, he didn't have time for this, Runt needed help now!

The man gazed after the boy, "Hmm? Nice kid. I hope his Cyndaquil pulls through,"

The Blaziken crossed her arms as she walked up to him, "Blaze blaziken blaze iken blaze blaze iken… (He's heading the same direction we're heading…)" she noted.

The man smiled, "That's good. I hope we run into him again, his aura felt pretty interesting…"

**Afternoon (1:32 P.M.), Amarillo City Pokémon Center**

At the speed he had been running, it had only taken him four minutes to reach Amarillo City and leave Runt in the care of the Nurse Joy and her Audino.

He had been told that Runt's damage was extensive, but their massive healing expertise would have him back to fighting shape within the hour.

In the meantime, he had explored Amarillo City, restocking his inventory of healing items and taking in the sights, such as the airport (which Okam was abundant with, not that Jackie had the money for tickets), the Gym, and the Power Plant right next to the city, which Jackie found to be giving off an ominous aura.

When he had finished sightseeing, he went back to the Pokémon Center, awaiting Runt's return.

He sat on a bench and sighed, "I can't believe that happened,"

Sonja, who was perched on his shoulder, wrapped a comforting wing around his head, "Noi noi, noi bat noi. (Don't worry, he'll be okay.)"

*BAM*

"Huh?" they turned to see a young boy pounding his fist on the wall, "What's the matter?"

The boy turned to them, tears in his eyes, "It's terrible!"

Jackie blinked in confusion, "What is?"

"Yeah, what is?"

"Wha?!" startled by the sudden intrusion of the new voice, Jackie jumped up and turned around, coming face-to-face with the dark blue-haired man he had met earlier, "Y-You?!"

The man smiled and nodded, his Blaziken (who was standing behind him), did the same, "Yep, it be me!"

Jackie and Sonja sweatdropped. He scratched behind his head nervously, "Yeah, uh… sorry about earlier, Runt was hurt, and I was in rush, I didn't mean to be rude,"

The man shrugged as he sat down next to him, "Oh, don't be sorry, and, by the way, sorry about your bike,"

Jackie's eyes widened in remembrance as he stood up in a fury, causing Sonja to take to the air in surprise, "YOU DESTROYED MY BIKE!"

The man scratched his cheek nervously, "Yeah, said I was sorry,"

"THAT DOESN'T MAKE UP FOR IT!" Jackie yelled, "DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH THAT BIKE COSTS?!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" the man put his hands on Jackie's shoulders and slowly pushed him back into the chair, "Don't worry, I'll make it up to you, I promise!"

Jackie's eyes narrowed, "Really?"

The man beamed as he placed a hand on his chest, "Cross my heart and hope to die, I promise I will, or my name isn't Herohoshi Montague Tagonist!"

Jackie tilted his head in confusion, which Sonja imitated as she flew back down to perch on his shoulder, "Herohoshi?"

The man grinned as he patted Jackie on the head, messing up his Sandslash quill hair, "You can just call me 'Hero' for short,"

"Fine!" Jackie sighed as he pulled himself out of the head pat, "I'll call you Hero… seriously, who names someone 'Hero'?"

Hero crossed his arms and sighed, "Thanks, Mom,"

"HELLO!"

They turned back to the crying boy, "What?"

"WEREN'T YOU LISTENING?!" the boy screamed.

"I _was_," Jackie sighed while casting a glare back at Hero.

"So," Hero placed a comforting arm around the boy's shoulders, "What's the problem?"

"I-It's the Gym Leaders!" the boy sobbed, "They haven't come back yet!"

Jackie blinked, "Come back? From where?"

"From the Power Plant!" the boy wailed.

"It's okay, there, there," Hero said soothingly as he held the boy's head close to his chest, "Now, what happened?"

The boy looked up, slightly calmed, "Th-They went to the Power Plant to fight those jerks who took it over!"

Jackie's eyes widened in surprise, "What jerks?"

The boy turned to him and answered his question with a strangled sob, "Team Universal!"


	12. Attack on the Power Plant! Part 1

_**Chapter Twelve:**_

_**Attack on the Power Plant! Part 1**_

* * *

**Afternoon (1:45 P.M.), Amarillo City Pokémon Center**

Hero's eyes narrowed and Jackie gasped in surprise, remembering his encounter with Virgo, "Team Universal?"

The boy nodded, "Yeah, they took control of the Power Plant yesterday,"

Hero's expression turned serious, "I see, please, tell us everything,"

Over the next 10 minutes, the boy explained everything to them, beginning with how a mysterious group of people had come to the city the other day and went to the Power Plant. After that, communications from the Power Plant had ceased, so the Gym Leaders had decided to investigate, finding the name of group to be Team Universal. The Gym Leaders had to step off, however, when Team Universal threatened the safety of those who worked at the Power Plant, who they had taken hostage. Not letting this stop them, the Gym Leaders, Tim and Tika, decided to sneak into the Power Plant under the cover of night.

Short story short, no one had seen them since.

Hero closed his eyes and held his chin in contemplation, "Hmm? Sounds like you're in some serious trouble," his eyes opened and he smiled as he gave the boy a thumbs up, "Never fear! Hero's here!" he turned to his Blaziken and held out her Poké Ball, "Inferna, let's go, we got some Universal's to singe!"

"Blaze blaze! (Good timing!)" the Blaziken smiled as she was recalled into the Poké Ball.

As Hero left for the exit, he called back to them, "Don't worry, I'll have them running for the hills faster than you can say 'Chu-chu shogun buthasfsjsajsakafk'!"

They sweatdropped, "Chu-what?"

"Hello! Jackie, please step up, your pokémon has been healed!" Nurse Joy's voice called out from the reception desk.

"Ah!" Jackie was about to run up, but was stopped when the boy grabbed his arm, "What is it?"

The boy had calmed down a lot by now, "Are you just going to let that guy go fight them on his own?"

Jackie stared at the boy, and sighed, "No, I guess not," he smiled, "This'll be fun,"

**Afternoon (2:00 P.M.), Amarillo Power Plant**

Hero, hiding in the bushes, eyed the two robed guards at the front door, "Hmm? It'd be pretty easy to break in by force, but that would jeopardize the hostages," he stroked his chin, "The best way to go about this would be to sneak-in, then free the hostages, lead them out, and hit the Universals with everything I have,"

"Sounds like a plan!"

Hero shot a glance behind him at Jackie, not even remotely surprised that the boy had followed him, "Ah, there you are. What took you so long?"

Jackie blinked in confusion, "You were expecting me?"

"Duh," Hero answered as he turned back to the entrance, "…Okay, I was not expecting that,"

"What?" Jackie moved forward so he could see, "Oh no, not _him_!"

"I don't know what you're doing here, but I ain't having it!" a teenager with a blonde, shaved head yelled at the two robed guards.

"Shut up, kid!" the first guard, a grunt under the codename Hyadum II, yelled at him.

The second guard, whose codename was Hyadum I, menacingly loomed over the boy, "Just who do you think you are, messing with the great Team Universal?"

The boy smirked, "My name is Inu Endo! I was born here in Amarillo City, and I'm not about to let you thugs take it over!"

Hyadum II waved him off, "Hate to break it to you, kid, but we have no intention of taking over this city,"

"Yeah!" Hyadum I nodded, "We're just siphoning electricity for our own purposes!"

Hyadum II slapped him, "YOU IDIOT!"

Hyadum I glared at his fellow grunt, "WHY DID YOU SLAP ME?!"

"BECAUSE YOU GAVE AWAY TOP SECRET INFORMATION TO THAT-" Hyadum II turned around, "Huh? Where'd he go?"

In the bushes…

"Hi, Jackie!" Inu Endo greeted him, "Who's your friend?"

"You can call me Hero," Hero replied.

"So, what are you doing here?" Jackie asked the boy who still owed him money.

"I'm here to save my hometown!" Inu answered proudly, "I rushed over here as soon as I heard that someone had taken over the Power Plant,"

"Hmm?" Hero contemplated this, "Hey, Inu, would you mind taking part in our attack on Team Universal?"

Inu beamed as held up a Poké Ball, "Would I!"

"Hmhmhm," Hero chuckled, "Good, so, here's the plan…"

Later…

"Why did we have to bring our weakest Pokémon with us?" Hyadum II complained.

"It's Galaxy Lord Cigar's orders," Hyadum I sighed, "He wanted us to train up our weakest ones,"

Hyadum II groaned, "I guess Grandpa was right, smoking does kill your brain cells, maybe that's why he wrestled that Feraligatr, Arceus bless his soul,"

"MY HAIR!"

Both guards turned around in surprise as Hero ran up to them, screaming his head off, "What the?"

Hero grabbed Hyadum I by the shoulders and shook him roughly, "MY HAIR! MY HAIR! LOOK AT THIS SH*T!" he pointed to his hair, "IT'S BLUE! WHAT THE F*CK IS UP WITH THAT?!"

"GAH!" Hyadum I, his ears ringing, pulled away from him, "What's wrong with blue hair?!" his hood had fallen off of his head, revealing his blue hair.

Hero blinked in surprise, and then resumed screaming, "WHAT'S WRONG? IT! IS! UN! NA! TUR! AAAAAAAAAAAL!" he ran around in circles screaming for several seconds before doing the robot.

Hyadum II talked into the microphone communicator under his hood (he didn't have the ability to telekinetically communicate like some of Team Universal's more elite members) as he called his boss, "Sir, I think we need back-up."

"Why?" Cigar's raspy voice reached his ears.

"You have to see it to believe it," Hyadum II answered as Hero pulled Hyadum I into a very energetic Tango.

Meanwhile…

While Hero… distracted… the guards, Jackie and Inu had managed to sneak in through the front door and take a secret route through the Power Plant known only by the people of Amarillo.

"Wow," Jackie held a hand to his ear, "What's Hero doing out there?"

Inu shrugged as he led the way through the Power Plant's cold hallways, "Dunno, but whatever it is, it sure is loud,"

"So," Jackie held his hands behind his head, "Inu, do you have any idea where the hostages could be?"

Inu stroked his chin, "Well, if I had to hazard a guess, I'd say the most likely (and safest) place for them to be is the employee lounge. My dad took me over there once, I think it's this way!" he led Jackie through the complicated maze of hallways, "Okay! It should be just around this-" he paused as they rounded the corner and came face to face with two more guards…


	13. Attack on the Power Plant! Part 2

_**Chapter Thirteen:**_

_**Attack on the Power Plant! Part 2**_

* * *

**Afternoon (2:22 P.M.), Outside of the Power Plant**

Hyadum I had grown tired of all the dancing, so Hero had to find another partner.

He and his Blaziken, Inferna, held hands as they performed a very passionate tango, "O' Romeo, O' Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?" he called as he spun her around.

"Blaze iken iken blaze! (I am the fire!)" Inferna switched into a very complex tap dance.

Hero gasped, and began running circles around her, "OH MY ARCEUS! WHATAREYOUDOING?" he jumped in front of the watching guards, whose numbers had grown to 25, startling them, "Whatcha lookin' at?!" he asked them, a murderous glint in his eyes, "Ya'll think you can just waltz on in here, AND STEAL! MY! MOOMOO! MILK! OOKIE OOKIE WOOHOO!"

His dance style switched to Disco as several more Universals left the building to watch the madman.

Hero smiled. _Just a little more. Once those kids break the prisoners out, I'll be free to go all out. Until then… _He continued dancing and yelling like a madman, drawing out more and more Universals. He was starting to work up a sweat, but he didn't mind, after all, it wasn't every day that he could have this much fun.

**Afternoon (2:24 P.M.), Amarillo Power Plant**

"Oh crap," Inu cursed as the two guards spotted them.

"Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" the first guard, codenamed Yildun, asked the second guard, codenamed MIZAR.

"I see two kids, do you see two kids?" MIZAR asked Yildun.

"I do, I do," Yildun answered. They glanced at each other and grinned maliciously, "Looks like we have two new prisoners to add to our collection,"

Each guard placed a hand in their robe, and pulled out a Poké Ball, "Double battle time!" they tossed the Poké Balls into the air, where they split open, each releasing an arc of red energy that materialized into the form of a Pokémon.

"Solo! (Present!)" the first Pokémon, which had the appearance of a butt inside of a green orb, was a Solosis.

"Ral! (Die!)" the second Pokémon had a green bowl cut with a red horn, a Ralts.

Inu blinked in confusion, "Wait, why battle when you could just cal-"

"Ssh!" Jackie hissed, "Don't give them any ideas!"

"'Kay," Inu shrugged as he opened his backpack and took out a Poké Ball, "Come out, Doggystyle!" he tossed the Poké Ball into the air, where it split open and released its occupant: a black and grey dog with unkempt fur.

"Yena poochy, poochyena! (I'm back, bitches!)" the Poochyena howled victoriously at his second appearance.

The two guards blinked in surprise, "Did you say 'Doggystyle'?"

"My turn!" Jackie reached into his hoodie's pocket and grabbed Runt's Poké Ball, "Go, go, Ru-"

He froze. Would Runt really be able to fight after his last battle? His physical wounds had been healed, but what about his mental wounds?

He swallowed nervously, he'd have to find out himself, "Go, go, Runt!" he tossed the ball into the air, where it split open, releasing its occupant.

The Cyndaquil didn't say anything as he was released.

"Runt… are you okay?" he asked worriedly.

The Cyndaquil took a deep breath as he hesitantly took a battle stance. He didn't speak, he just nodded.

Jackie gulped. _I guess the shock from his loss is still affecting him._

MIZAR called out the first attack, "Solosis! Use Rollout on that horribly named Poochyena!"

"Solo! (Yes!)" the Solosis dropped to the ground, and began rolling at high speeds toward Doggystyle.

"Doggystyle! Dodge and use Bite!" Inu ordered.

Obeying his trainer, Doggystyle jumped to the right as Solosis rolled past, then jumped back at it and sank his teeth into the orb, scoring a critical hit.

"Runt, please, use Leer on Ralts!" Jackie called out, desperately hoping that Runt would listen to him.

He did.

Runt glared at the Ralts, who wilted under his gaze as her defense decreased.

"R-Runt!" Jackie cried out in joy, a tear actually forming in his eye, "You-You're actually listening to me!"

Runt sighed, and spoke, "Cynda, cyn cynda quil. (Before, I was mistaken.)" he braced his tiny body for battle, "Cynda quil cyn cynda cyn quil cynda quil quil cynda cyn cynda quil. (I believed that attacks had no use if they couldn't hurt my opponent.)" he took a deep breath and swallowed his pride, "Cynda quil cyn cyn cynda quil, cynda cyn cynda quil cynda cynda quil cyn. (I almost died because of this, nearly causing Jackie to worry himself to death.)" he looked up, and the flame on his back swelled up, "Cynda cyn cynda quil cyn cynda quil cynda! (But I won't make the same mistake again!)"

Jackie, although he couldn't understand exactly what Runt had said, understood his actions, "Runt!"

Runt turned to face Jackie, and smiled, "Cynda cynda quil, cyn. (Lead the way, Jackie.)"

Jackie smirked, "Let's do this! Runt, use Tackle!"

"Cyn cynda quil! (It's fightin' time!)"Runt nodded and charged at the Ralts.

"Ralts! Use Confusion!" Yildun growled.

The Ralts nodded and began the attack when Runt slammed into her, knocking her flat on her rear.

"Now! Use Smokescreen, then circle around and use Ember!" Jackie gave out the next order, which Runt cheerfully obeyed.

He exhaled a cloud of black smoke that surrounded the Ralts, preventing her from seeing as he ran around to the other side and fired off an Ember, covering her in flames, "CYNDAAAA! (BUUUURN!)"

"RAAAAAAL!" the Ralts cried out as she was set ablaze, before succumbing to her wounds and passing out.

"Dammit!" Yildun cursed as he recalled Ralts back into her Poké Ball, "You'll pay for that!" his hand reached to his hood to activate the microphone communicator.

Thinking quickly, Jackie ran forward while calling out an order, "Runt, use Smokescreen on that guy!"

"Cynda! (Right!)" Runt ran in front of Jackie, jumped up, and exhaled a cloud of black smoke into Yildun's face.

"Kaa, kaa! What the-" suffering from a coughing fit and blindness due to the smoke cloud, he wasn't able to see Jackie coming at him until it was too late, and was tackled into the wall.

"Ugh!" Jackie grunted as he picked himself up. He looked down at Yildun, who had been knocked out on collision with the hard wall. He looked back at Runt, and smiled, "Way to go, buddy!"

The Cyndaquil grinned back, "Cynda. (Thanks.)"

"Stay away from me!" MIZAR screamed as the snarling Poochyena, who had already defeated his Solosis, approached him.

Inu smiled, "Looks like we won! Now let's free those hostages!"


	14. Attack on the Power Plant! Part 3

_**Chapter Fourteen:**_

_**Attack on the Power Plant! Part 3**_

* * *

**Afternoon (2:41 P.M.), Outside of the Power Plant**

"Boom shika boomboom shika shika bing ZOW!" Hero beatboxed as Inferna breakdanced.

"Hahaha!" Hyadum I laughed as he elbowed another grunt, "Are you getting this?"

The other grunt, MIRPHAK, nodded, "Yeah!"

"FREEDOM!"

The grunts turned around as they were run over by the stampede of their freed hostages.

"Son of a bitch!" MIRPHAK cursed as he got up.

Hyadum I gulped, "Weren't those our prisoners?"

Hyadum II swallowed nervously, "We are so dead,"

*clap* *clap*

"Hmhmhm," the sound of chuckling and clapping reached their ears, causing them, and the other 29 Universals who had gathered outside, to turn around,

"So," Hero began as he held out another Poké Ball, this one a Great Ball, "Who's ready to see my next dance partner?"

Hyadum II's eyes widened in fury, "YOU?!"

Hero smiled roguishly, "Of course, you daft bastards," he tossed the Great Ball into the air, causing it to split open and release its occupant, "Make them cower! Go, Token!"

"Maaaaaal!" the monstrous creature snarled, causing the assembled Universals to either lose control of their bowels, flee for the hills, or, in some cases, both.

Hero smirked as he ran through the front doors of the Power Plant, his Pokémon following behind him, "Good work, Token, Inferna!"

**Afternoon (2:43 P.M.), Amarillo Power Plant**

Jackie and Inu had freed all of the hostages, all of whom, save two, had run for the exit.

"So you're the Gym Leaders?" Jackie asked the twins that had remained.

"Yes!" they answered.

Both of the Gym Leaders were one year older than Jackie was and had bright yellow hair and orange eyes. Tika's hair was tied back into two pigtails shaped like giant lightning bolts, while Tim's hairline ended in a series of upright, lightning bolt-shaped bangs. Oddly, they were both dressed in electrical engineer uniforms.

Tim sighed, "We tried breaking in here under the cover of night,"

Tika finished, "Unfortunately, their leader, this old guy named Cigar, somehow knew that we were coming, and we got ambushed by a dozen guards,"

Tim grounded his teeth angrily, "We didn't have a chance!"

"And they took our pokémon!" Tika wailed.

Inu gritted his teeth, "Those bastards!"

"And that's not the worst of it!" Tim punched the wall with his fist.

Tika nodded, "They hooked up all the Electric-types to the generator!"

Jackie's eyes widened in surprise, "What? Why?"

A tear came to Tim's eye, "So they could increase the amount of electricity outputted by the Plant's generator, allowing them to siphon even more out,"

Jackie gulped, "That's horrible!"

Tika sighed, "If overdone, yes. Sometimes, when the generator isn't producing enough power, we'd have a volunteer Pokémon provide some electricity or help jumpstart it if it breaks down,"

Tim swallowed nervously, "But if they overdo it too much, the generator could explode!"

"We have to stop them!" Inu gasped.

Jackie's mouth was set into a grim line, "Tim, Tika, we promise, we'll help, just take us to the generator room,"

Tim and Tika smiled as they gave them each a thumbs up, "Sure, follow us!"

**Afternoon (2:46 P.M.), Power Plant Generator Room**

There were two humans in the generator room: Galaxy Lord Cigar, and his subordinate, Universal Supervisor Aquila, who was there solely for escape purposes.

Galaxy Lord Cigar was a portly man of 61 years, making him the oldest of the Galaxy Lords. His face was grim and wrinkled, and most of his teeth were rotten. His bushy grey moustache was connected to his long, curly, and untrimmed beard. His hair was styled into a pure-white mullet with dark brown highlights. He had two scars on his face, one that went down his right eye that he received in an unfortunate encounter with a Sneasel, and another, more grisly one that he received from a knife wound that went from his left ear down to his chin. He was blind out of his right due to the scar, but he could see perfectly out of his left eye, which shined a bright, amethyst purple.

Cigar smiled as he circled around the various glass tubes containing the Electric-type Pokémon, most of whom had already collapsed in exhaustion from being forced to endlessly power the generator.

All of the electricity produced had been siphoned from the generator through a series of special wires hooked up to "Thunder God," a large, battery-like structure held in a truck outside of the Power Plant, that was developed by Doctor Sirius, Team Universal's chief scientist.

When Thunder God reached full capacity, it would be carefully carted away back to the base, where it would be used to power their operations over the course of the next year.

Right now the massive battery was at 92% capacity, as shown by the display on the siphon, and would soon reach 100% in a matter of minutes.

He glared at the weak pokémon in the glass tubes, "Provided you all don't die first,"

He reached into his robe and pulled out, fittingly, a cigar and a lighter.

He smiled as he lit one end and put the other in his mouth.

In the old days, he used to be a drug lord by the name of Narob Gurd, smuggling various addictive and deadly substances into various regions across the world. His psychic powers, which specialized in precognition (not that he didn't have any other psychical strong points), had given him the chance to avoid and outwit many politicians, investigations, and assassination attempts.

Unfortunately, his incredible senses appeared to be dulling as of late. His visions became foggier as time went on, nearly costing him his life on several occasions.

That all changed the day he was approached by Grandmaster Andromeda.

He had been shocked at the Grandmaster's presence, for he hadn't received any visions of meeting the masked psychic.

Andromeda promised him that, in turn for his financial support and aide in their operations, he would receive treatments that would revitalize his psychic abilities.

How could he say no?

He had accepted, and took on a new name: Galaxy Lord Cigar.

The treatments were very successful at first, but he soon found that their affects weren't permanent, and he began needing them more and more frequently. He had received his last treatment last week, and his psychic visions were already fogging up. He had been lucky to decipher the one that told them of the two Gym Leaders break-in.

"Sir!" his musing was interrupted by a voice in his communicator, he wasn't really that good at psychic communications, but at least he was better than most of the grunts, whose only psychic powers involved bending spoons.

"What is it?" he rasped the question.

The voice gulped, "It's _him_! _He_'s here!"

Cigar's eyes widened, "WHAT?!" he gulped, "I should have known word would get out about our takeover, but for them to send _him_?!" he turned his worried eyes to the siphon's display, which showed that it had reached 94% capacity, "Charge dammit!" he turned his attention back to the communicator, "Listen, send all of our forces to intercept at once, we must stall him as long as possible!"

"Yes, sir!" the voice answered as it signed off.

"Dammit!" Cigar cursed as he turned back to the Electric-types, "Can't you charge any faster?!"

"Let those Pokémon go!"

"What?!" he turned around to face the group of teenage intruders.


	15. Attack on the Power Plant! Part 4

_**Chapter Fifteen:**_

_**Attack on the Power Plant! Part 4**_

* * *

**Afternoon (2:49 P.M.), Power Plant Generator Room**

"We're here to stop you!" Inu declared as Doggystyle growled a challenge.

"Prepare to taste defeat!" Jackie taunted as Runt's fire swelled.

Galaxy Lord Cigar blinked, and then sighed, "Oh, it's just a bunch of kids. Sh*t, you guys nearly gave me a heart attack,"

"Hey! We're teenagers!" they insisted.

Tim and Tika gasped in horror at the sight of the Pokémon in the glass tubes, several of them had already collapsed into unconsciousness, and those still standing looked exhausted. If they didn't do something soon, there was no telling how many of the Pokémon would die.

"Guys!" Tika called to them as she and her twin brother rushed to a control panel next the wall, "Hold them off as long as you can while we free the pokémon!"

Jackie smirked, "Will do!"

Inu smiled, "You're going down!"

Cigar sighed, he didn't like hurting children, directly, that is, "Fine," he took the cigar out of his mouth, exhaling a cloud of smoke, and reached into his robe, taking out a Poké Ball, "Let's have a double battle," he turned to his assistant, "Aquila, would you mind joining us?"

The robed supervisor nodded and took out a Poké Ball of his own, "Yes, go!" he tossed the Poké Ball into the air, where it split open and released its occupant: a Woobat, which was a spherical creature covered in shaggy, light blue hair with two small bat wings and a pig nose with a heart-shaped nostril.

"Good," Cigar turned back to them and released his Pokémon: a Meditite, which was a bipedal, humanoid creature with and an onion-shaped head, round, swirled ears, and light blue legs, body, and arms.

Jackie smiled as he shot Inu a glance, "Ready?"

Grinning, Inu nodded, "Yeah!" he made the first move, "Doggystyle! Use Bite on that Meditite!"

Doggystyle obeyed and rushed at the Meditite, fangs bared.

Cigar's eyes flashed as he sent a telekinetic message to his Pokémon. _Use Bide._

"Medi! (Right!)" the Meditite braced himself as Doggystyle bit into his arm.

"Woobat! Use Gust on that Cyndaquil!" Aquila cast the order.

"Woo! (Woo!)" the Woobat flapped her wings, generating a powerful wind that nearly blew Runt off of his feet.

Jackie considered his options. _Hmm? If we use Ember or Smokescreen, it'll just get blown back into our face, so… _"Runt! Use Tackle!"

Enduring the gale, Runt grinned, "Cyn cynda quil! (It's fightin' time!)" he rushed forward against the gale until he was near enough to jump up and ram into the Woobat, stopping her gust.

As Runt fell back down to the ground, Jackie gave his next command, "Now that the gale's gone, use Ember!"

"CYNDAAAA! (BUUUURN!)" Runt nodded and spat a wad of fire at the bat before landing. The Ember hit the bat, engulfing it in flames.

"Woo! Woo! Wooooooo- (Woo! Woo! Nooooooo-)" covered in burns, the Woobat fell to the floor and fainted.

"Dammit!" Aquila cursed as he recalled the unconscious bat into its Poké Ball.

"Yeah!" Jackie cheered as Runt smirked in victory.

Their cheers stopped as Doggystyle went flying past them and crashed into the wall!

"Doggystyle!" Inu called his partner's name in shock before turning back to Cigar, "That... That move was Bide! But how?! You didn't call any orders!"

Galaxy Lord Cigar smirked as he exhaled more smoke, "Actually, I did. I just called them in my head. After all, I'm a psychic, just like every other member of Team Universal,"

Inu gritted his teeth as he recalled Doggystyle, "That's cheating!"

Cigar shrugged, "I never said I was a nice guy,"

Jackie glared at the old man as a red light flashed overhead, "Huh?"

The light flashed and the claxons blared, "ALL RELEASE!"

Cigar's unscarred eye widened, "Oh crap!"

"We did it!" Tim and Tika cheered as the glass tubes containing the Electric-types opened, releasing their captives, who the two Gym Leaders eagerly helped out of their prisons.

Smirking, Jackie glared at the panicking Galaxy Lord, "So, I guess it's just me and you,"

Cigar frowned as he prepared to give another psychic command, but stopped when he noticed that his Meditite was panting in exhaustion after all the damage he had taken in his fight against the Poochyena.

"I'm sorry," he took out Meditite's Poké Ball and recalled him, "But I must decline,"

Jackie blinked in surprise, "What?"

Cigar sighed, "Meditite was the only Pokémon I brought with me," he took the cigar out of his mouth, exhaling a cloud of smoke, "I didn't think we'd need anything too strong, and I thought it would be a good excuse to train up our weaker Pokémon," a frown spread across his face, "I see now that I was sorely mistaken. Oh well," he shrugged as he glanced at the siphon attached to the generator, "Too bad we can't take the siphon back,"

Tim and Tika, fresh from freeing the captured Electric-types, glared at him, "What are you talking about?"

"Oh, nothing," Cigar lied as he turned to Aquila, "Would you mind taking us back to the truck?"

Inu leered at the Galaxy Lord and his subordinate, "And what makes you think you can get away from us?"

"Did you know that a very few psychics can teleport short distances? We Galaxy Lords, if we lack this ability ourselves, are never without one with this ability. So, goodbye," Cigar smiled as he took Aquila's hand and was teleported away.

They stared at where he had stood but a second ago.

The first to speak was Tim, "OH COME ON!"

Tika stomped her foot on the ground in anger, "I can't believe he got away,"

Jackie gritted his teeth, "Dammit!" he cursed as he walked over to Runt. With a sigh, he knelt down and pet the diminutive Cyndaquil on the head, "You did good today, Runt. I'm sorry you couldn't fight that Cigar guy and his Meditite,"

Runt shook his head as he escaped from the petting, "Cynda, cyn cynda quil cyn, Cyn cynda quil cynda! (Na, it's not your fault, and stop petting me!)"

Inu muttered under his breath, "I'll get that guy back for this,"

The door behind them exploded and Hero jumped out with Inferna close behind, "Freeze, evildoers! Huh?" he looked around at their surprised expressions. Frowning, he snapped his fingers, "Darn it! We're too late! Oh well…"

* * *

**And so Team Universal's attack on the Amarillo City Power Plant has come to an early end, thanks to the efforts of Jackie, Inu, and Hero!**

**Wow… this felt really anti-climactic. *sighs* I guess I wasn't feeling it, oh well. *brightens up* I just need to do better next time!**


	16. VS - Amarillo City Gym Leaders!

_**Chapter Sixteen:**_

_**VS – Amarillo City Gym Leaders: Tim & Tika!**_

* * *

**Afternoon (5:44 P.M.), Amarillo City Pokémon Gym**

In the hours that followed Team Universal's departure of the Power Plant, many things had happened. Tim and Tika expressed their gratitude for saving their beloved pokémon by promising them a Gym battle later. The freed hostages celebrated them wonderfully. The remaining members of Team Universal who had not escaped were taken into custody; Hero said that he would handle it. All of the Pokémon that had been rescued were sent to the Pokémon Center, and were expected to make a full recovery by the next week.

Inu had told the Gym Leaders that he'd battle them tomorrow, so Jackie was to battle them today.

Before then, he was given plenty of time to prepare. And prepare he did.

He had gone to the Poké Mart and restocked on healing items.

He had done a little bit of training with Sonja and Runt, who had learned a new move, Quick Attack, and had forgotten Tackle.

When the time came for the battle, Jackie was lead into the Gym and onto the battle arena, which was a wide plain covered in rocks.

Tim smiled as he spun his Poké Ball on one finger, "You know, just because you have our gratitude-"

"-Doesn't mean we will go easy on you!" Tika finished.

Jackie smiled as he pulled out both of his Poké Balls, "I wouldn't have it any other way!"

Tim and Tika grinned, "Good!"

"Go, Jackie!" Inu cheered him on from the sidelines. Hero would have been there too, but he still had some work to do. Jackie had a lot to ask him about later.

"Is everyone ready?" the referee, one of the hostages rescued from the Power Plant, asked them. They nodded, "Good, then begin!"

"Go, go, Sonja, Runt!" Jackie tossed the Poké Balls into the air, where they split open, releasing their occupants.

"Noooi bat, bat noi noi bat! (Awww right, back in the spotlight!)" Sonja declared as she took to the air.

"Cyn cynda quil! (It's fightin' time!)" Runt declared as his fire flared up.

"Our turn!" Tim and Tika tossed up their Poké Balls, "Let's go! Plus/Minus!"

The Poké Balls split open, releasing a red arc of energy that materialized into the form of two bipedal, cream-colored electric mice. They were largely similar but different. Where one was red (ears, tail, paws, cheeks, and tail), the other was blue. Where one had a minus sign (cheeks and tail), the other had a plus sign.

"Plus! (One!)" the Plusle, Minus, cheered, waving pom-poms made of sparks.

"Min! (Two!)" the Minun, Plus, cheered, waving sparky pom-poms as well.

"Plus plusle plus plusle plus! (Let's have us some fun!)" Minus jumped in front of Plus.

"Min minun min minun! (Give credit that's due!)" Plus leapt on top of Minus.

They both cheered, "(To you, to you!)"

Tim gave the first order, "Plus! Use Snuggle on Runt!"

"Minun! (Huggies!)" Plus jumped off of Minus and raced towards the disturbed Runt.

"Minus! Quick Attack Sonja!" Tika commanded, causing the Plusle to make a super speed dash at the flying bat.

Jackie's eyes flashed as he gave out his orders, "Switch it up! Runt! Use Quick Attack to dodge Plus and intercept Minus! Sonja! Fly and use Supersonic on Plus!"

The two Pokémon nodded as they obeyed their orders.

Before Plus could hit Runt, he made a super speed rush and tackled Minus, knocking him away and causing Plus's hug to hit thin air, which upset her because she really wanted to hug the small Cyndaquil, thinking him rather handsome. Her thoughts were soon interrupted when Sonja flew over and began emitting strange sound waves that caused her confusion.

Tim and Tika narrowed their eyes; Jackie was smarter than they thought.

Tim punched forward with his fist, "Plus! Let's give Minus a hand, use Helping Hand!"

Tika clenched her fist, "Then Minus, use Nuzzle on Runt!"

A circle of yellow birds flying around her head, the Minun clapped her paws together, "Min minun! (Go Minus!)"

"Pluuuu-sle!" Minus's form arced with electricity as his power increased from Plus's chanting. He shot Runt an odd look, and then dashed towards him, "Plusle! (Huggies!)"

The Cyndaquil gulped as he saw the fast approaching Plusle, and began running backwards furiously to avoid the ever gaining Minus, "Cynda quil! Cynda quil! (No homo! No homo!)"

He couldn't run forever, and the Plusle tackled him to the ground, where he furiously rubbed his cheek against Runt's, "Plus plusle plus plus! (All of the homo!)" when he was done, the Plusle stood over the paralyzed Cyndaquil, "Plusle, plus plusle plus? (So, what's a homo?)"

Jackie assessed the situation as he formulated his new tactics, "Sonja! Screech'em! Runt! Try to stand and use Ember!"

Sonja nodded as she shrieked, "NOOOOOIIIIIIIIII!"

Everyone held their hands to their ears in pain.

Using the confusion and his opponent's lowered defense to his advantage, Runt forced himself up, despite the electricity coursing through him, and spat out a wad of flames at the Plusle of ambiguous sexuality, "CYNDAAAA! (BUUUURN!)"

"PLUUUSSSS!" the Plusle ran around screaming as he was set ablaze, "Plus plus plusle! (I'm on fire!)"

"Awesome!" Jackie grinned as he gave Runt a thumbs up. He turned to Sonja and called out his next order, "Sonja, wrap things up on your end by using Tackle!"

"Noooi bat! (Awww right!)" Sonja nodded before flying full speed toward the Minun, "Noi noi! (It's over!)" she rammed into the Minun, knocking her clear out of the ring!

"Minun min min minun min… (That was one sexy Cyndaquil…)" Plus muttered before fainting.

Tim sighed as he recalled Plus, "Welp, we lost,"

Tika nodded as she recalled the burned Minus, "We got destroyed,"

The referee held up the green flag, "Plus and Minus are unable to battle! The victory goes to Jackie of Verde Town!"

"YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" Jackie burst into a wide grin as he repeatedly pumped his fist into the air.

"Way to go, Jackie!" Inu cheered.

Through pants of exhaustion, Runt smirked, "Cyn, cyn cyndaquil. (Sweet, sweet victory.)"

"Nooooi! (Yippee!)" Sonja flew over and perched on Jackie's head.

"You did well," Tim began as he walked over with his twin.

"And you have earned your prize: the Charge Badge!" Tika finished as she held out the Charge Badge, a small pin that could easily fit between one's thumb and index finger. The Badge took the shape of a red plus on top of a blue minus.

"YEAH!" Jackie took the badge and lifted it into the air, "We got the Charge Badge!"

Sonja triumphantly spread her wings, "Noi bat noi! (That we did!)

Not wanting to be left out, Runt flexed his small muscles, "Cyn cynda, cyn cynda, cyn cynda. (We came, we saw, we conquered.)"

"That's not all," Tika informed them.

Jackie blinked as he and the gang turned to them, "It isn't?"

"Yeah," Tim nodded, "Since you beat us, you get this TM!" he handed Jackie a CD-like object, "You can use this Technical Machine to teach Volt Switch to any of your Pokémon who can learn it,"

"Oh yeah!" Jackie cheered.

"By the way," Tika began, "What do you plan on doing next?"

Jackie blinked in surprise, "What?"

Tim crossed his arms, "Are you going to head over to the next Gym, or are you going to rest here for today?"

Jackie stroked his chin in thought, "Good question," he looked to Sonja and Runt, both of them seemed rather tired after the day's events, "Yeah, I think we'll stay here for the day,"

"That's great!" Inu cheerfully wrapped his arm around Jackie's shoulders, "You can stay over at my place! We can have a sleepover!"

Jackie smiled, "I wouldn't mind that,"

"May I join you?"

"WAAH!" they both jumped at the sound of the voice. They turned around to find the dark blue-haired man, "HERO?!"

Hero nodded, "Yeah, can I join you?"

Inu shrugged, "Of course, man, the more the merrier!"


	17. Taking a Brake

_**Chapter Seventeen:**_

_**Taking a Brake**_

* * *

**Night (9:42 P.M.), Inu's Room**

With no place to stay for the night, Inu had invited both Jackie and Hero over to his house.

They accepted, and to express gratitude, had volunteered to do several chores for Inu's mother while their Pokémon healed at the Pokémon Center.

After that was done, and they had done their fair share of exploring, they retired for the night, happy to find that two sleeping bags had been prepared in Inu's room.

As Jackie settled in for the night, he observed Inu's room, which was rather plain overall, save for all of the pictures and posters of cops and detectives.

"I see you're seeking a career in law enforcement," Hero observed.

From his bed, Inu nodded vigorously, "Yeah! I've always wanted to fight crime and injustice," he rolled over onto his bed, his arms spread wide, "My dream… is to rid the world of corruption, to make a better world for everyone!"

Hero smiled. _Gotta love the optimism._

"Wow," Jackie said with wide eyes, "That'll be pretty difficult to accomplish," he grinned, "I'll help!"

Inu rolled over and smiled, "Thanks!" his eyes narrowed, "But if we're going to achieve paradise, evil organizations like Universal have to go down,"

Hero nodded, "I see. And I assume that you're going on your journey to help move yourself closer to this goal,"

Inu nodded back, "Yeah! Battling for glory and adventure may be the main reasons people go on journeys, but we must never forget the third reason!"

Hero smiled, "Winning money from battles in order to set or prepare yourself for the rest of your life."

"Mhm hmph!" Inu nodded again, "I'm trying to earn enough money from Pokémon battles to pay my way into college!"

"Wow," Jackie stared in amazement. He hadn't really thought about any goals for himself other than becoming the champion, yet Inu was already set on what he wanted to be. He turned to Hero, "Hey, Hero?"

The dark blue-haired man turned to him, "What is it?"

"What did you want to be when you were a kid?" Jackie asked earnestly.

"Hmm?" Hero stroked his chin in remembrance, "I already became what I always wanted to be,"

Jackie and Inu blinked in surprise, "You have? What?"

"Hmhmhm!" Hero chuckled uncontrollably as he lay back down in the sleeping bag and closed his eyes, "A hero…"

They stared at the sleeping madman.

Jackie shrugged as he took out his Badge Case and observed the Charge Badge, "We've taken our first step on the stairway to glory, guys,"

"How poetic," Inu noted, "By the way, what are you going to do tomorrow?"

"Hmm?" Jackie thought about it, "I'll be going back to Cape Blanco to have a rematch with Chase," he grinned widely as he took out Runt's Poké Ball, "But first, we have a rematch against a mutant Mawile,"

From within the Poké Ball, Runt smirked arrogantly at the thought of defeating the womon who had previously broken him. He had gotten stronger and wiser; there was no way he'd lose a second time.

Inu's eyes widened, "You mean that monster that lives in Marrón Cavern?" Jackie nodded. He gulped, "I pray for your life,"

Jackie smirked as he put away Runt's Poké Ball, "She beat us once, she won't do it again," he sighed as lied down into the sleeping bag, "Hey, Inu, can I ask you something?"

Inu nodded, "Anything,"

He glanced around at the various posters and pictures adorning the walls, "Out of all these detectives and cops, who's your favorite?"

Inu beamed, "That's an easy one!" he pointed to a rather large poster of a black-haired, brown-eyed man above the room's sole TV, "Without a doubt, its Looker!"

**Night (9:56 P.M.), Azul Port**

Their travel had been swift and without trouble.

The ship had been docked and secured.

Now that they had arrived, the group of robed individuals carefully laid out the plans of their assault. This was a serious mission after all, and no one wanted to get on the Grandmaster's bad side.

When the reports came in about the partial failure at the Power Plant, the Grandmaster had been absolutely livid that someone had interfered in their plans, especially when the fact that _he _had been there was brought up, which resulted in a massive headache for all who had been within one hundred feet of the Grandmaster.

They were slightly mollified, however, when they learned that the operation had not been a total failure, and the Thunder God had been charged up to 96.7% capacity, which would power their base well into the next year.

Andromeda had been re-enraged when it was learned that they had no clue as to the whereabouts of the grunts who had been taken prisoner, forcing all those present at the base to endure the psychic maelstrom whipped up by their furious leader.

"We must not fail!" the third and final Galaxy Lord informed her subordinates, "We will not fail!" she spread her arms wide as she encouraged them, "Our plan is full proof! We will make those at Azur Inc. pay for their psychic research!" at this, there was a loud 'Aye!' from all assembled, "We are special! We were all given the gifts of the mind! We were the only ones chosen to have these powers!" she raised her fist into the air, "And they think that they can give these gifts to just anyone?! Blasphemous!" another loud 'Aye!' was sounded, "We are Team Universal! We are psychics! And we are SUPREME!" her subordinates cheered, "We are Team Universal! We are the masters of the Universe itself!"

"U-NI-VER-SAL! U-NI-VER-SAL! TEAM UNIVERSAL! FOREVER!" the grunts and supervisors cheered raucously.

The Galaxy Lord removed her black hood, revealing her face. She was 24 years old, with bright, beautiful features. Her eyes were blue sapphires, sparkling in the darkness. Her rosy red lips were a beauty to behold. Her two ear rings took the shape of the sun and moon.

However, her black hair with chaotic purple highlights was styled into a mohawk, with a trail of giant, thick hair spikes that curved outwards in a series of alternating directions, leading down to a pony tail that let out into a doggish tail of hair, leaving the right and left sides of her head bald.

She spread her arms wide again, "Be ready, my Universals, for we will attack soon. I will not fail you like Cigar did to his incompetent underlings! I will lead you to victory! For I am GALAXY LORD MILKY WAY!"


	18. Rematch

_**Chapter Eighteen:**_

_**Rematch**_

* * *

**Morning (6:54 A.M.), Route 10**

Jackie, with Runt at his side, had set off for Marrón Cavern first thing in the morning, and, within a few moments of leaving the city, had arrived at the cavern's entrance.

He looked down at Runt and smiled, "You ready for some hard-earned payback, buddy?"

Runt nodded vigorously. _I'll get that bitch back for what she did to me!_

Jackie grinned as they ran for the entrance, "Let's do this!"

"WAIT!"

Their feet skidded to a stop, "Huh?" they turned around to find Hero and his Blaziken, Inferna. Jackie groaned, "What do ya want?"

"Heh…heh… to pay you back… heh… for the bike," Hero panted as he held out his hand.

Jackie blinked, "What… is that?"

In his hand, Hero was holding a small, golden bag, the opening of which was tied shut by a single string.

Jackie frowned as he accepted the object, "That's it? A small bag? For my bike?"

Hero looked up and smiled, "Just think of it as a… good luck charm,"

Jackie's frowned widened as he put away the 'good luck charm', "I don't think this is gonna cover it. Do you have any idea how much that bike costs?"

Hero's smile widened, "Fine, then, in order to pay off my debt, I'll go forth with you as your travelling companion,"

"What?" Jackie asked flatly.

Hero wrapped his arm around Jackie's shoulders, "Come on! I'll have your back in case you're in trouble! Just think of me as your own personal safety net slash deus ex machina!"

"Fine," Jackie sighed as he led the way into the cave. _There's no way to lose this guy._

Runt glared up at Inferna, "Cynda cyn cynda quil cyn cynda quil. (You better not get in my way.)"

The Blaziken watched as he scurried into the cavern, "Blaze blaze iken blaze iken iken. (He really needs to get laid.)"

**Morning (7:23 A.M.), Marrón Cavern**

They traveled through the cavern, searching for the Mawile that had defeated Runt, until they came upon the same place that they had first encountered her in, rocky outcropping and all.

Hero had recalled Inferna under the assumption that she was frightening off their competition.

Jackie gritted his teeth in frustration, "That's it! You leave me no other choice!" he turned around, and stomped his feet angrily, "We're leaving, that mutant Mawile is obviously too scared to come and face us,"

"Ma wile mawile ma wile?! (Who are you calling scared?!)"

Jackie smiled as Runt braced himself, "I knew that would work,"

The shadows in front of them shifted, and the large Mawile stepped out, glaring at Runt, "Ma, wile mawile ma wile ma ma? (So, you've come for another ass kicking?)"

The fire on the Cyndaquil's back flared up, nearly setting his companions on fire, "Cyn, cyn cynda quil cynda quil. (No, I've come for a rematch.)"

The Mawile grinned brutally as she took a battle stance, "Ma wile. (Very well.)" using Iron Head, she charged at Runt, seeking to headbutt him with her steel-hard head.

Jackie grinned, "Circle around and hit her using Quick Attack! Then, blast her with Ember!"

"Cyn cynda quil! (It's fightin' time!)" Runt grinned as he circled around the charging Mawile, then rushed back at her, tackling her from behind.

"Ma! (Whaa!)" the Mawile cried out as she was sent toppling head-over-nonexistent-tail. "Ugh!" she grunted as she got up, and turned to him with rage-filled eyes, only to be blasted in the face by an Ember, "GAH!"

Jackie grinned, "Way to go, Runt!"

Hero smiled as he observed the fight, "Well done,"

Runt grinned widely, "Cynda? Quil cynda cyn cynda quil quil? (What? Did you forget to level grind?)"

The Mawile frowned in displeasure. _Dammit! I can't let them intrude on my territory like this! I didn't have this much trouble last time! _Her eyes narrowed. _He and his trainer didn't work together this well before. And he wasn't that fast either._

Jackie smiled. _Wow, Runt's a lot faster than he was before! Defeating that Woobat and Plusle sure raised his Speed Evs!_

The Mawile glared at the Cyndaquil, then pounced at him, using Play Rough to ensnare him in a dust cloud of blows.

"Runt!" Jackie's eyes widened in worry as he remembered the last time this had happened.

The Mawile pummeled Runt under a rain of blows, accenting each strike with a repetition of, "Ma wile! Ma wile! Ma wile! (Take this! And this! And this!)"

Runt gritted his teeth as he took the blows. _Ugh! Come on! Think! What would Jackie tell me to do?! _A lightbulb appeared above his head as he frowned. _Duh._

"Ma wile! (Take this!)" the Mawile's fist raced for his face at the same time that Runt exhaled a cloud of black smoke, "Kaa! Kaa!" her eyes watering and her throat burning, the Mawile backed away as her dust cloud settled down.

_Now to end this! _Runt's fire flared up as he charged his attack, "CYNDAAAA! (BUUUURN!)" using a super-charged Ember, he spat out a wad of flames twice the normal size, which consumed the Mawile in a burning inferno.

"GRRRRAAAA!" the Mawile growled in rage and agony as she stumbled around, burned by the fires that surrounded her.

Jackie's fist clenched in excitement, "Runt, end this! Use Quick Attack!"

The small Cyndaquil nodded as rushed forward and tackled the burning Mawile, sending her flying into the very same rocky outcropping she had sent him flying into the other day.

She slammed into it, and fell to the floor with thud, the flames around her extinguished by the blow, "Heh…heh…heh," she panted in exhaustion as she staggered back onto her feet.

Jackie threw his fist into the air, "Yeah! We got her!" his eyes widened in realization, "Hey! She would be perfect for my team!" he reached into his backpack as he searched for a Poké Ball, "Got it!" he turned back to the scene, and was surprised to see that there were tears in the Mawile's eyes, "Huh?"

Runt blinked in surprise at the crying Mawile, "Uhh… Are you okay?"

Genuine tears streamed down the Mawile's face, "*sniff* *sniff* MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIILE! (DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADDYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!)" she cried out so loud that the cave itself shook.

Jackie winced, "What was that?"

Runt blinked, "Cynda quil cyn cynda 'cyn'? (Did you just say 'Daddy'?)"

A large shadow appeared over him, "Huh?" he looked up, cried out, and just barely managed to run out of the way before the massive figure crashed down.

"RHYPERIOR RHY PERIOR RHY RHYPERIOR! (GET AWAY FROM MY DAUGHTER!)" the massive, rocky, dinosaur-like creature roared, causing them all to back away instinctively.

The Rhyperior towered over them all as he shielded his daughter from view, "Rhy, rhy perior rhy perior perior rhy rhyperior rhy? (Now, which one of you made my daughter cry?)"

Runt gulped and trembled as he stared up at the massive Rhyperior, but he refused to move, "C-Cyn cynda! (I-I did!)"

The Rhyperior narrowed his eyes, "Rhy perior rhy rhy! (So it was you!)"

The Rhyperior drew his fist back to strike, but was interrupted by a shout from Hero, "Is that you… Rockjaw?"

The Rhyperior looked up, and his eyes widened as they rested on Hero, "RHY! (YOU!)"

"Wow!" Hero grinned as he reached for one of his Poké Balls, "I can't believe it, after all of these years, we finally meet again," he took a battle stance, "Bring it on, Rockjaw! Huh?"

"RUN AWAY!" he was pulled away by Jackie, who had grabbed Runt while they had been talking, "COME ON! LET'S GET OUT OF HERE!"

"Awww," Hero sighed as Jackie pulled him away, "And I'd been waiting so long for this moment, too," he shrugged, "Oh well. There's always next time,"

"RHY RHY PERIOR! (COME BACK HERE!)" Rockjaw took a step after them, but stopped when he heard a whimper from his injured daughter. Returning to her aide, he picked her up, and carried her off, shooting one last glance behind him, "Rhy rhy perior rhy rhyperior rhy perior, rhyperior. (I'll get you one of these days, Hero.)"

**Morning (8:00 A.M.), Route 10**

"That…heh…heh… was close," Jackie panted as they emerged from the cavern.

"Cynda… (Right…)" Runt nodded from his place in Jackie's grip.

Hero gazed at the cavern's entrance and sighed in regret, "Oh well," his expression brightened as he took Jackie's hand and led him along, "We won't be able to go back through there, so let's go the long way to Cape Blanco! Besides, there's this ranch I want to check out anyway!"

Jackie and Runt blinked in bewilderment, "O…kay…"

**Morning (8:03 A.M.), Marrón Cavern**

The Mawile rested in a pool of water, fully healed from her last battle thanks to eating a multitude of berries her father, who was napping a few meters away, had provided her from their personal store.

The Mawile sunk down below her makeshift bath until only her eyes were above water. _I can't believe I lost to that… that… Runt! DAMMIT! _The water steamed with her temper. _I can't believe that little… handsome… devil…_

The Mawile's head rose from the water as an idea came into her head. _Well, he did beat me… and he did stand up to my father… and it is about that time for me… Yes…_

"MA! (YES!)" the Mawile shouted as she emerged from the water, startling her father into wakefulness.

"Rhy? Rhy rhy perior? (What? What is it?)" Rockjaw asked her.

She turned to her him with sparkling eyes, "Ma wile! (I'm leaving!)"

Rockjaw's eyes widened in surprise, "Rhy?! Rhyperior?! (What?! Why?!)"

She smiled in happiness as she walked to the exit, "Ma wile ma ma wile mawile! (To bring home my new husband!)"


	19. New Accent

_**Chapter Nineteen:**_

_**New Accent**_

* * *

**Morning (8:08 A.M.), Wooly Ranch**

***Pokémon speak off for some reason***

Wooly Ranch was Okam's resident farm, and was responsible for the region's supply of milk (both Miltank and Gogoat), wool, honey, and produce.

The Miltank and Gogoat dozed lazily, the Combee buzzed about peacefully, and the Mareep flock grazed on the land near the ranch's entrance.

One such Mareep stood staring at the entrance. She was a beautiful specimen, with extra fluffy and soft cream-colored wool covering her entire body, plus an extra curly tuft of it over the middle of her blue, black-eyed head, while her tail and conical ears were striped black and yellow.

The orange sphere on the end of her tail lit up like a light bulb as she gracefully tip-toed forward on her four, blue, dainty, two-digited feet, "Ah'm gonna do it!"

One of the other Mareep looked up, "There she goes again,"

Another rolled its eyes, "Stupid accent and all,"

The Mareep turned back to her companions, "Ya'll best be takin' that back!"

The others rolled their eyes, "Quit fakin' it, Mary,"

Mary held her head high as she tip-toed to the entrance, "Ah'm not fakin' it! Ya'll're just a bunch of lazy good-for-nuthin's!" she stared at the entrance she was approaching, "Where be yer sense of adventyah? Don' all ya'll wanna see what be behind that theyah gate?" they shook their heads, "Well, Ah suyah do! Ah want a life of adventyah, acshion, and romance!" she shut her eyes as she charged blindly forward through the gate, "Ah wanna be swept offin' mah feet bah a handsome stranger, mah own knight in shinin'- OW!" she fell backwards as she collided with something, "-ahma?"

***Pokémon speak fixed***

"Cyn! Cynda quil! (Ow! My head!)" Runt shook his sore head as he looked up, "Cyn cynda quil cynda! (Watch where you're going!)" he growled at her, but blinked in confusion as she brought her face closer to his, "Cynn… cynda? (Uhh… hello?)"

Mary's face turned red as she backed away immediately in embarrassment, "Ma! Mareep! Ma reep? (Oh! Sorry! Areya okay?)"

Runt nodded as he got up, "Cyn, cynda quil. (Yeah, I'm okay.)"

"Ma! (Oh!)" Mary fluttered her eyelashes at him, "Ma, ma reep ma, mareep? (So, what broughtya heyah, handsome?)"

Runt gestured above him, "Cynda. (Them.)"

"Runt! Are you okay?" Jackie asked worriedly as he rushed to the Cyndaquil's aide.

Hero sighed, "Ah, love at first sight,"

"Hey!" an old, grizzled man in his late forties ran up to them, followed by a young girl of about seventeen, "What you been doin' to my Mary?!"

"Hold on, daddy!" the girl yelled after him.

Hero ran up to the man, "Hey! Mr. Wooly!"

The man blinked as he stopped running, "Hero? Is that you?!"

"Yep!" Hero smiled as he embraced the old man, "Damn! You look great!"

Mr. Wooly grinned as he returned the embrace, "So do you!"

Jackie blinked in confusion, "What the heck is goin' on?"

"Cyn cynda quil cyn. (I have no idea.)" Runt shrugged as the Mareep rubbed her fluffy wool against him in a flirtatious manner, earning her the ire of the Mawile that was spying on them.

**Morning (8:42 A.M.), Farmhouse Breakfast Table**

"And that's what brought us here," Hero finished explaining to Mr. Wooly and his daughter, Sherry.

Sherry gritted her teeth, "So it was that blasted Mawile,"

Mr. Wooly sighed, "She's been causing all sorts of problems for the travelers of Marrón Cavern,"

Jackie smiled, "You might not need to worry about her anymore, because Runt here took care of her!"

Mr. Wooly blinked in surprise, "You mean that tiny Cyndaquil actually beat that monster?"

Runt stopped chowing down on the Pokémon food that had been provided for him and smirked as he flexed his very small muscles, "Cyn cynda quil cyn cynda cynda quil cyn. (I gave her the fight of her life.)"

"Ma! (Oh!)" Mary gasped, "Ma mareep! (How gallant!)" she continued nuzzling him, much to his own oblivious confusion.

Hero observed this and sat up, "Hey, Mr. Wooly, can I ask you something?" eyeing the others, he added, "In private?"

Mr. Wooly blinked in confusion, but consented, "Sure, come on," he lead the madman out on the porch.

"So," Jackie, delighted at being alone with Sherry, began, "If beauty were measured in seconds, you'd be an hour,"

She slapped him for the horrible pick-up line.

Runt shook his head, "Cynda. (Idiot.)" he jumped, "CYN! (OW!)"

"Ma! Mareep! (Whoops! Sorry!)" Mary apologized for accidentally shocking him.

**Morning (8:45 A.M.), Farmhouse Porch**

"So," Hero began when he was sure that no one listening, save for the Mawile, "How much for Mary?"

Mr. Wooly blinked in surprise, "What?!"

Hero sighed as he crossed his arms, "How much for the Mareep?"

"WHAT?!" Mr. Wooly yelled, "Are you saying you want my Mary? The pride of my flock?!"

Hero nodded, "Yep! I want her for Jackie, and Runt, who she is experiencing love at first sight with,"

Mr. Wooly blinked, "With that runty Cyndaquil?"

"Yeah," Hero nodded again, "He seems to attract a lot of girls,"

Mr. Wooly looked nervous, "Well, I don't know, she is the pride of my flock, but I am a romantic who believes that everyone should find their true love," he stroked his chin nervously, "Okay, how about 200,000 pokédollars?"

Hero narrowed his eyes, "250,000, take it or leave it,"

Mr. Wooly blinked in confusion, "O…kay, 250,000,"

"Deal!" Hero shook his hand in agreement. "Let's see!" he pulled out his wallet, opened it, and grimaced, "I only have 200,000,"

Mr. Wooly shrugged, "Well, I guess that'll do,"

"No!" Hero shook his head, "A prize like Mary is worth more than that! How about this: 200,000 pokédollars, an autographed photo of me, and a few hours free labor on the farm!"

Mr. Wooly blinked at the madman he knew so well, "Okay, why not?" he held out his hand.

"Deal!" and Hero shook it.

**Morning (8:48 A.M.), Farmhouse Breakfast Table**

Hero and Mr. Wooly walked back into the breakfast room.

"There you are!" Jackie exclaimed while rubbing his sore cheek.

"So, did anything happen?" Sherry asked them as they sat down.

Hero smiled, "Nothing much, but me and Jackie will be providing free labor for the next couple of hours!"

"W-W-What?!" Jackie spluttered, "Why?!"

"Because he gave me an autograph and 200,000 pokédollars, and I promised that if you did, you could have Mary," Mr. Wooly explained.

"WHAT?!" Jackie and Sherry screamed in surprise while Runt blinked in confusion and Mary squealed in delight.

* * *

**Author's note:**

**And so we meet Mary, the electric sheep with a fake southern drawl. Did I do well on the accent? I've always wanted to have an accented character.**


	20. The Farming Episode

_**Chapter Twenty:**_

_**The Farming Episode**_

* * *

**Morning (9:12 A.M.), Hour One: Milking**

"…And that is how you milk a Miltank and a Gogoat," Sherry explained.

Hero turned to Jackie and smiled, "Simple enough, isn't it?"

"Let's just get this over with," Jackie shivered and gulped as he proceeded with the milking.

**Morning (10:27 A.M.), Hour Two: Tauros Retrieval**

"Cyn. Cynda. Quil. Cynda. Quil. (Get. Back. In. The. Barn.)" Runt said slowly to the large Tauros, Brutus.

The bull glared back at him, "Tauros! Taur taur tauros taur taur tauros taur tauros taur! (No! I'm not taking orders from a midget like you!)"

Runt twitched with rage, "Cynda. Quil. Cyn. Cynda. (I'm. Not. A. Midget.)"

Mary gulped as she nudged Runt, "Ma ma reep ma reep reep mareep, ma. (Ah don' think he'll listen to ya, sugah.)"

Runt held firm as he glared at Brutus, "Cynda quil. (Staring contest.)"

Brutus and Mary blinked, "Taur? (What?)"

"Cynda quil. (Staring contest.)" Runt repeated, "Cynda quil cynda cyn, cynda cyn cynda quil, cyn cynda cynda quil cynda, cyn cynda quil quil cyn cynda. (If I blink first, you can stay out, but if you blink first, you go back into the barn.)"

The bull grinned, "Taur tauros! (You're on!)"

The staring contest commenced.

**Morning (11:34 A.M.), Hour Three: Honey Collecting**

"Noi noi! (How sweet!)" Sonja greedily licked the honey off of her wing tip.

"Sonja, don't eat that!" Jackie growled as he carried the large barrel of honey back to the farmhouse.

"Hmhmhm," Hero chuckled as he carried two barrels in his arms, "Isn't this fun?"

"Ugh!" Jackie grunted under the strain, "Don't talk to me…"

**Noon (12:44 P.M.), Hour Four: Tauros Retrieval part 2**

Brutus's eyes had turned bloodshot by now, yet Runt stood calm and composed.

"Taur… tauros taur tauros? (So… you gonna blink?)" Brutus asked the Cyndaquil as his legs trembled.

"Cyn. (No.)" Runt answered indifferently.

"Taur. (Oh.)" Brutus's legs trembled again, "Taur, taur tauros taur tauros tauros taur? (Hey, can I take a bathroom break?)"

"Cyn. (No.)" Runt answered coldly.

Mary shivered at the Cyndaquil's ruthlessness. _He is so badass! Mhmm… that is so hawt!_

**Afternoon (1:55 P.M.), Hour Five: Berry Picking**

The Noibat flew away; a Pecha Berry gripped tightly in her mouth.

"Sonja! COME BACK HERE WITH THAT BERRY!" Jackie yelled as he chased her down.

"Damn, are they loud or what?" Hero noted as he finished filling his basket with berries.

"Blaze blaze blaziken iken iken. (They're louder than you are.)" Inferna noted back as she finished filling her own basket.

"Ah, true, true," Hero sighed as he carried the basket back to the farmhouse, "What I wouldn't give to be ten years younger,"

Inferna gulped as she followed him with her own basket, "Blaze blaze iken blaziken iken blaze iken iken blaze. (I don't think this world could handle that again.)"

"Ah, again, true, true," Hero repeated with another sigh.

**Afternoon (3:04 P.M.), Hour Six: Tauros Retrieval part 3**

"_And so ends, the Magnezone… and the Probopass…"_

Mr. Wooly turned off the TV as he wiped away a tear from his eye, "That… that was beautiful,"

"*sniff* *sniff*" Sherry wiped at her eyes with a handkerchief, "As expected of a show with so many Remmy Awards,"

***THUD***

Mr. Wooly sat up immediately, "The heck was that?!"

Sherry blinked in surprise as she stared out the window, "Uhh… Daddy, I think our Tauros just passed out,"

"WHAT?!" Mr. Wooly exclaimed as he ran outside of the farmhouse, "Brutus!"

The Tauros had collapsed in a puddle of his own urine.

"What the heck happened to him?!" Mr. Wooly demanded of the Cyndaquil.

Runt looked up, "Cyn cynda. (He blinked.)"

As Mr. Wooly and Sherry were left flabbergasted, he turned back to Mary and gasped, "Cyn! Cynda cyn cynda?! (Hey! Are you okay?!)"

"Ma? (Huh?)" Mary looked perplexed as she continued staring at him.

Runt gulped, "Cyn cynda… cynda quil! (Your nose… it's bleeding!)"

"Ma?! (Huh?!)" she turned away from him to hide her arousal, "Ma ma, mareep! (It's nuthin', sugah!)"

**Afternoon (3:45 P.M.), Farmhouse Porch**

Mr. Wooly sighed, "While I question the quality of your work, you did do a good job, and a deal's a deal so, you can have her,"

"Mareep! (Yay!)" Mary nuzzled Runt affectionately.

"Grr…" hiding in the bushes, the Mawile growled. _Who does that bitch think she is?! Runt. IS. MINE!_

Hero shook hands with Mr. Wooly, "Pleasure doing business with you," he pulled him into a hug and whispered, "P.S. If you don't want to keep that autographed photo of me, trying selling it online, you'll get a good fifty thousand pokédollars for it,"

Mr. Wooly nodded as he pulled out of the embrace, fully aware that Hero was being serious, and that he was right.

He bent down to Mary, and hugged the electric sheep, "Now girl, you were the pride of my flock, now go on and be the pride of Jackie's team," she nodded, and he whispered, "Also, make sure you score with that Cyndaquil, I don't want to lose you for nothing," she blushed and nodded again. He stood up, and gestured to Jackie, "You better get it over with,"

"Right," Jackie nodded as he took out a Poké Ball, "Go, go, Poké Ball!" he threw the Poké Ball at Mary, and it bounced off of her head, where it split open, releasing a red light that pulled her into it.

The ball then closed, fell to the floor, rocked back and forth three times, and clicked, indicating that she had been captured.

"YEAH!" Jackie lifted the Poké Ball high into the air, "I caught a Mareep!"

Sonja perched on his head and triumphantly spread her wings, "Noi bat noi! (That he did!)"

"Go, go, Mary!" smiling, Jackie threw the ball into the air, where it split open and released its new occupant.

The Mareep instantly tiptoed over to Runt and nuzzled him, "Ma reep Mareep, reep? (Isn't this great, sugah?)"

Bewildered by her nuzzling, Runt backed away, "Cyn, cynda quil. (Sure, I guess.)"

"See you later, guys!" Hero called to the farmers as they left for their next destination.

Mary walked beside Runt, nuzzling him all the while, "Mareep reep ma ma mareep mareep! (Weyah gonna be so happah togeddah!)"

Runt stared at her in astonishment, "CYNDA?! (WHAT?!)"

* * *

**And so another member joins the team… WITH AN ACCENT! I think I did pretty well on the Southern Belle accent, I just hope I can keep it up.**

**Oh, and to those annoyed by the Pokémon speak, just bear with me. I promise it will all but disappear later on in this fic, once we get to a particular plot-point. *foreshadowing* *foreshadowing* *I am overdosing on foreshadowing***


	21. Back to Cape Blanco!

_**Chapter Twenty-One:**_

_**Back to Cape Blanco!**_

* * *

**Afternoon (4:24 P.M.), Route 11**

"Go, go, everybody!" Jackie tossed all of his Poké Balls into the air, where they split open, releasing their occupants.

"Cynda cyn cynda? (What is it?)" Runt asked as he was released, before gulping as Mary came over to nuzzle him. _Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap!_

Jackie sighed as he fell to the grassy floor, "I'm tired. We're taking a break. Let the filler commence!" he closed his eyes as he took his nap.

His Pokémon blinked at him in surprise.

"Hmhmhm," Hero chuckled as he walked up, "I don't blame the boy, not everyone's cut out for farm work," he looked down to Mary, Runt, and Sonja, "You heard him, free period, do what you want. Just don't wander off too far, 'kay?"

***Pokémon speak off to extend word limit***

"('Kay!)" Sonja flew off to eat some berries.

"(Ooh! Now it's just the two of us, sugah! How romantic-)" Mary turned to Runt, but he had already disappeared. Her ears drooped in disappointment, "(Runt?)"

Elsewhere, near a small stream…

"(Hya!)"Runt tackled the tree using Quick Attack, then jumped back as it fell backwards. He smiled as he went to drink from the stream, "(Now this is a good workout!)"

His mind wandered as he drank the water.

_Great, Mary has a thing for me. I can't have that, I'm a warrior! Romance would just be a distraction to my goal of becoming the strongest._

He shook his head to shake off the water droplets, "(The path to the top, is the path of solitude!)"

"(So you want to be alone?)"

"(Wah!)" Runt turned at the sound of the new voice, "(YOU?!)"

In front of him was the giant Mawile, "(Yep! And to think I came all this way for you, but here you go mouthing off about solitude.)"

"(Hey!)" Runt growled, "(Solitude is the way of the warrior! No attachments to hold me down! It is my belief that to be the strongest, I must shun all else but pain and hardship, accepting only the joy of victory as my only pleasure! You dare insult my beliefs?!)"

The Mawile sighed as she walked up to him, forcing him to step backwards until he could no further lest he fall into the stream. Smiling mischievously, she grabbed him by the arms and spun him around before pulling him into a deep hug, "(So you shun all pleasures but the joy of victory, eh?)" he could feel her rather warm breath on his nose as she caressed his head, "(What if I could show you pleasures the likes of which you've never known?)"

"(Hrr!)" grunting in exertion, he pulled away from her, "(Stay away from me, seductress!)"

She frowned, "(Oh, boohoo! Why must you reject my advances? Do you think I'm ugly?)" she asked sarcastically.

Runt didn't pick up on it, "(No, no! I don't think that!)" he waved his small arms frantically, "(It's just, I'm not interested in companionship right now. Yeah! Besides,)" he gestured to himself, "(Look at me, I'm a runt! You can do a lot better than a small-fry like me!)"

She smiled as she leaned closer to him, "(Be that as it may, larger Pokémon than you have fought me, and lost. But you,)" she leaned in closer, "(You beat me. Besides,)" she picked him up, and brought his face towards hers, "(Small is cute.)" she kissed his nose.

Just as a jolt of electricity hit her, forcing her to drop him, "(GAH!)" she recoiled away as a small electric sheep jumped between her and Runt.

"(STAY AWAY FROM HIM, YOU SUCCUBUS!)" Mary roared as static crackled throughout her wool.

Runt shook his dazed head, "(M-Mary?)"

The sheep nodded, "(Yes, sugah, it's me.)"

The Mawile glared at her, "(Just when things were gettin' spicy, you had to show up and ruin it!)"

Mary returned the glare, "(Runt. Is. Mine.)"

The Mawile frowned, "(I saw him first. Besides, he defeated me in fair and honorable combat, unless I marry him, my honor would be disgraced!)"

Runt sweatdropped, "(I don't think it works like that.)"

The Mawile turned to him, "(Listen, Baby, answer us this: who would you rather take as your mate?)" she struck a rather alluring pose, "(A sexy beast like me?)" she smirked and pointed at Mary, "(Or a fluffy, fat, Southern Belle like her?)"

Mary's eyes widened in fury, "(Well, Ah do declayuh! Does this here slut think she can hold a candle to mah beauty?)"

The Mawile narrowed her eyes, "(What did you just say to me?)"

"(Ah said:)" Mary began to repeat when she noticed something, "(Runt?)"

The Cyndaquil had begun running back to base. _Run, run, run, run, run! If life in the wild has taught me anything, it's to never get between two feuding womons!_

"(COME BACK HERE!)" they chased him all the way back to the base, but the Mawile was forced to retreat to a safe distance as she wasn't a member of their team.

"(Whew!)" Runt sighed as he made his way to the humans, Mary following behind him, "(Made it!)"

"(Theyah ya are, sugah!)" Mary ran up and nuzzled him, fully aware of the fuming Mawile spying on them.

"Hey, guys!" Jackie, awake and with Sonja perched on his shoulder, waved to them as he took out their Poké Balls, "Come on, it's time to go!"

Runt sighed as he was recalled, while Mary stuck her tongue out at the spying Mawile, "(Thank Arceus!)"

"Come on, Hero!" Jackie called over to his travelling companion as they headed out.

Back in the bushes…

_Dammit! _The Mawile cursed as she spied on them. _I almost had him, then she had to show up! This isn't good! While I'm trailing behind at a distance, that… that Southern Belle can get all up and personal with my Runt!_

She fumed as she followed them. _If this keeps up, I'll have no other choice! But can I really lower myself to such a dishonor?_

She thought of _her _Runt, and a smile graced her features.

_For that handsome devil, anything…_


	22. VS - Cape Blanco Gym Leader: REMATCH!

_**Chapter Twenty-Two:**_

_**VS – Cape Blanco Gym Leader: Chase - REMATCH!**_

* * *

**Afternoon (6:05 P.M.), Cape Blanco**

They had made great time getting to the Cape, at the expense of rushing through Rosa City. Jackie had promised himself that he'd make a stop in Rosa City to visit Professor Cherry after his Gym Battle though.

With Sonja and Runt's Poké Balls gripped tightly in his hands, Jackie walked up to the Gym and knocked on the doors.

"You ready?" Hero asked him.

Jackie nodded, "I'm ready!"

The door opened and Chase's grandpa peeked out, "Oh! It's you, lad! Damn, I didn't think you'd get here that fast," he looked over at Hero, "H-Hero?!"

Hero smiled as he pulled the old man into a hug, "Hola, Drace!"

Chase's grandfather, Drace, smiled as the madman let go of him, "Damn, I wasn't expecting to see you with this kid,"

Hero shrugged, "He felt interesting,"

Drace smiled, "Well, don't just stand there, come on in, we have a Gym battle to watch!"

As they were led inside, Jackie shot Hero a look, "Just who are you, Hero?"

Hero grinned broadly, "I already told you, I'm a Hero,"

As the door behind them closed, the Mawile sneaked in…

**Afternoon (6:10 P.M.), Cape Blanco Gym**

"So, good to see you back on your feet," the very tan, 17 year old fisherman greeted them as he released his two Pokémon: the Deino, Dina, and the Bagon, Nog.

"Good to see you too, Chase," Jackie greeted the Gym Leader back as he released Sonja and Runt onto the battlefield.

Runt glared at the Bagon, "Cynda cyn cynda quil. (So we meet again.)"

Nog nodded, "Bag bag bagon gon. (Good to see you.)"

Sonja darted past Dina again, causing the dragon to drop her Oran Berry.

After she flew back to Jackie, she dipped her head in embarrassment, "Noi! (Sorry!)"

Chase smiled as he nodded to his grandpa, "Let's get this show on the road!"

Drace, red and green flag in hand, nodded back, "Let the battle between Jackie of Verde Town and Gym Leader Chase of Cape Blanco Begin!"

Hero smiled, "This'll be fun," he turned to the hidden Mawile, "Why don't you come on out and cheer for him,"

"Ma?! (What?!)" the Mawile gasped in surprise. How did he know that she was here? The over-sized Mawile shot him a glare, but didn't move from her hiding spot.

Hero shrugged, "Suit yourself," he turned his attention back to the battle at hand, "Come on, Jackie. Show me what you made of," he smiled as he remembered the day he had defeated Drace here back when he was the Gym Leader. He shook his head as he sighed, "Good times,"

"Let's go!" Chase grinned as he gave the first order, "Nog, use Leer on Runt! Dina, use Focus Energy!"

The Bagon shot Runt an intimidating look that lowered his defense, while Dina took a deep breath to focus herself and raise her critical hit ratio.

"My turn!" Jackie called out, "Runt, Leer back at Nog! Sonja, same as before, use Supersonic on Dina!"

They nodded and did as they were told, Sonja emitting bizarre sound waves at Dina, confusing her, and Runt glaring at Nog.

Chase's eyes narrowed, "Fight back! Nog, hit'em with Headbutt! Dina, blast her with Dragonbreath!"

The Deino stumbled about on her feet before letting out a gust of breath in no particular direction, while the Bagon charged headfirst at Runt.

Jackie's eyes gleamed with the thrill of battle, "Runt, swerve around and counterattack with Quick Attack! Sonja, help us out with Tailwind, followed by a Tackle to Dina!"

"Noooi bat! (Awww right!)" Sonja whipped up a whirlwind that added speed to her and Runt, then flew down and rammed into Dina, knocking the black and blue dragon back a few feet.

Runt's squinty eyes gleamed as his speed was boosted, "Cyn cynda quil! (It's fightin' time!)" using Quick Attack, he swerved around the charging Bagon, then rushed forward to tackle him in the rear, sending the blue dragon crashing headfirst into the ground.

"Yeah!" Jackie held his fist high and cheered, "We've got this in the bag!"

Chase's eyes narrowed as he punched the air with his fist, "Don't count us out yet! Dina! Charge forward and use Bite on Runt! Nog, get up, jump up, and Headbutt Sonja!"

Dina shook her head as she snapped out of confusion, then charged towards Runt with bared fangs.

Meanwhile, Nog charged after the flying bat, jumped up at her, and crashed headfirst into the astonished Noibat, who was caught off-guard by the fact that the blue dragon could jump that high.

Jackie grimaced, "Sonja, recover and use Screech! Runt, dodge to the side and blast her with Ember!"

Sonja nodded as she recovered in mid-air, then opened her mouth to shriek at the defenseless Nog as he fell back to earth, "NOOOOOIIIIIIIIII!"

Runt dodged to the side of the charging Dina, then spat a wad a fire at her as she passed by, engulfing her in flames, "CYNDAAAA! (BUUUURN!)"

Chase grinned widely, "Let's end this! Nog, kamikaze her with one last Headbutt! Dina, blast him with a Dragonbreath!)"

"Dei deino! (Take this!)" from within the flames, Dina blasted Runt with a gust of breath, sending him flying backwards. Then, with her energy drained, she took the Oran Berry out of her fur and ate it, restoring some of her HP.

Nog got up through Sonja's screeching and jumped up at her, "BAGON! (KAMIKAZE!)"

Before his attack made contact, Sonja dove forward in a Tackle to meet him, causing them both to take damage as they collided.

The force of their attacks knocking each other out, they both fell back to the ground, unconscious, where their trainers recalled them.

Hero smiled as he observed this turn of events, "It's all down to Runt, now,"

The Mawile gulped as she watched Runt pick himself up, "Ma ma wile ma, mawile! Ma mawile wile wile! (You can do it, Baby! I believe in you!)"

Jackie and Chase swallowed nervously as they stared at their remaining Pokémon.

Runt had taken a lot of damage from that last attack, but he stood back up, ready to fight back.

Dina had regained some of her health thanks to the Oran Berry, but she was still burning from Runt's Ember.

Chase took a deep breath and grinned, "Let's go! Dina, use Bite! And if he dodges, blast him with Dragonbreath!"

"Dei deino! (Got it!)" the black and blue dragon rushed at the Cyndaquil, ready to sink her fangs into him.

Jackie's eyes narrowed, "Come on, Runt, you can do this! Dodge around with Quick Attack, then see if you can hit her!"

"Cynda! (Yes!)" Runt dashed beside her as she charged, barely escaping her fangs. Then he charged back towards her rear, seeking to tackle her.

Right when she spun around, and blasted him with Dragonbreath, sending him to the ground in a heap!

Panting in exhaustion, the Deino smiled triumphantly, "Deino! (Gotcha!)"

Jackie's eyes widened in worry, "RUNT!"

From where he lay, Runt stirred as he got back up, panting and heaving, "Cyn cynda… quil cynda… (I'm not… done yet…)"

Chase raised an eyebrow, while Dina let out a gasp of surprise.

Hero smiled and tapped his wrist as if he wearing a watch, "Any second now,"

Still panting in exhaustion, Runt glared at Dina, the flames on his back burning brightly, "Cyn cynda quil cyn cynda, cyn cynda quil cynda quil! (I lost to you once, but I won't lose again!)"

The Mawile gulped as she watched her beloved, "Ma wile! (That's it!)"

Jackie smiled as he stared at his partner, "Runt…"

His fire soared up, and Runt roared, "CYN CYNDA QUIL! (I WON"T LOSE!)"

As he screamed, his body began glowing, changing, evolving!

Jackie's eyes widened in surprise, "RUNT?!"

Chase and Drace swallowed nervously, "Oh crap,"

Hero smiled broadly, "'Bout time,"

The Mawile was left speechless at the sight of her beloved's transformation, but she was vaguely aware of the massive nosebleed she was having.

When Runt was done changing, the light surrounding him burst apart, revealing his new form!

"Lava quil lava! (It's fightin' time!)" the Quilava roared as he dropped down to all fours while the two somewhat exclamation-mark-shaped, red spots on his forehead and the three horizontally lined up, red spots on his rear projected mighty flames.

As was his last form, the top half of his body was covered in blue fur, while the bottom half was creamy, and he was a few centimeters shorter than the average Quilava, which stood at 90 centimeters. His front and back paws now had three digits each, but what had changed most was his face: his once long nose had become shorter and more rounded, he now had two triangular ears with red insides, and his eyes, while still keeping that look of grim determination, had opened, revealing their contents, which gleamed like rubies.

"YEAH!" Jackie cheered as he punched the air with his fist, "Way to go, Runt!"

The Quilava grinned as he stared down the astonished Deino, "Quil lava quil lava, lava? (What are your orders, Jackie?)"

"Let's end this!" Jackie yelled, "RUNT! EMBER!"

Runt grinned widely as he reared back on his hind legs while his flames soared, "LAVAAAA! (BUUURN!)" he blasted the already burning Dina with a wad of fire twice the size of his previous form's.

The Deino cried out as she was engulfed in the flames, before finally succumbing to her injuries and passing out on the floor.

Drace lowered the red flag and raised the green one, "Dina is unable to battle! The victory goes to Jackie of Verde Town!"

With a sigh, Chase recalled Dina back into her Poké Ball, "Dang, this always happens when they evolve, oh well," he shrugged as he walked over to Jackie, who was so ecstatic at his victory that he had grabbed Runt and begun swinging him around in a dance, much to the Mawile's jealousy, "Well, you guys beat us, and you know what that means: you get the Fang Badge!" he held out his hand, where Jackie slowly took the Fang Badge from his palm. The Fang Badge took its shape from a dragon's canine fang, hence the name.

"YEAH!" Jackie cheered and raised the badge high into the air, "We got the Fang Badge!"

The two Poké Balls in his hoodie split open, releasing Sonja and Mary.

Sonja flew up, perched on his head, and spread her wings triumphantly, "Noi bat noi! (That we did!)"

Mary, who was new to this, let electricity crackle throughout her wool as she bleated, "Mareep! (Victory!)"

Runt smirked as he flexed his new, slightly larger muscles, causing both Mary and the Mawile to experience another nosebleed, "Quil lava, quil lava, quil lava. (We came, we saw, we conquered.)"

Chase grinned as he produced two more objects and handed them over to Jackie, "Here, you can have these too," the first object he handed over was a CD-like object, "This TM contains Dragonbreath, try teaching it to Sonja," he then handed over the second object, "And you can have my Good Rod,"

Jackie blinked in surprise as he took the gifts, "Really?!"

Chase smiled and nodded, "Sure! Besides, Grandpa already promised that he'd give me his if you won,"

"Thanks!" Jackie dipped his head in gratitude, "Come on, guys!" he ran for the door, "Next stop: Rosa Cityyyyyyy-!" he ended up slipping on a trail of blood left by the Mawile's nosebleed.


	23. The Witch, the Ninja, and the Thief!

_**Chapter Twenty-Three:**_

_**The Witch, the Ninja, and the Thief!**_

* * *

**Evening (6:53 P.M.), Rosa City**

"And we made it!" Jackie exclaimed as they stepped foot into the Professor's city.

They had left Cape Blanco a while ago, and had made excellent time getting here. Jackie had received many things from Chase, and Drace, Chase's grandfather, had even promised afterword that if he came back sometime later when Sonja had gotten stronger, he would teach her the ultimate Dragon-type move.

Hero nodded, "That we did. Hmm?" he looked around and set his gaze on the Mega Mall. He shot a glance towards Jackie and Sonja, who was perched on his shoulder as usual, "Hey, I'll meet you at the lab in around… 30 minutes, tops, 'kay?" he made a dash for the Mall.

Jackie and Sonja blinked after him, "The heck was that about?"

**Evening (6:59 P.M.), Professor Cherry's Lab**

Jackie had knocked on the door, and was led inside by Cherry's aide, Catherine.

"It's good to see you, Catherine," Jackie greeted as the aide led him to the housing part of the lab, where Professor Cherry himself took residence. Yes, he lives in his lab, he's a workaholic.

"Follow me to the dinner table," Catherine instructed, and Jackie obeyed, soon finding himself in a rosy-smelling dining room full of scented candles.

In the center of the room was a large table where the Professor himself was eating ravioli alongside two women. The older one was dressed as a ninja, while the younger one was dressed as a witch.

"Hello!" Jackie greeted them.

Professor Cherry looked up and smiled, his pink hair as luxurious as ever, "Ah! Jackie, it's good to see you!" he gestured to the ninja woman, "Why don't you sit next to Chiyome while Catherine prepares you a bowl,"

Jackie nodded and sat himself down next to the ninja. She was covered from head to toe in a skintight black garb, so he couldn't make out any of her features, aside from her mouth and amber eyes as she greedily dug into the ravioli. Other than that, just from looking at her he could tell that she was somewhere around Hero's age. He didn't want to pry too much though, for he could see that she was armed with a sheathed katana, and had two other weapons (called kusarigama) that resembled sickles attached to metal chains with weighted ends held close to her legs.

As he waited for his bowl to arrive, he turned his attention to the witch girl, who was about his age. She wore the standard witch's hat with the curved yet pointed tip and the black cloak. But in addition to these she wore long cream-colored gloves and a reddish-brown vest and skirt. Her hair was a very pale green, practically white, separated into six braids at the back and, in her most distinguishing feature (other than the fact that she was rather flat), with a large tuft shaped like a bird's wing draped over her forehead, covering her left eye, while her right eye shined a vibrant blue with flecks of green.

"So," Jackie began, "Who are you guys?"

The ninja shot him a glance, but said nothing as she continued to devour bowl after bowl of ravioli.

"Ah, how rude of me," Cherry gestured to the ninja, "This is Chiyome Michizuki, a member of Okam's Elite Four,"

Jackie gasped at the woman, "You mean?"

Chiyome nodded as she continued eating.

Jackie gulped, realizing he'd have to face this woman one day if he were to become the league champion, a task he was not looking forward to due to the intimidating aura coming off of her in waves.

"And this," the professor gestured to the young witch, who smiled sweetly, "Is Hazel Mantid of Anaranjadoville."

Jackie blinked as he recalled that name, "Hey! You're the girl who got that Fenniken!"

Hazel smiled as she held up a Poké Ball, "Oh, you mean Vixi? Yeah, she's a Braixen now, though,"

Jackie sighed. _What am I getting all upset about, I have Runt!_

At this thought he smiled and held up Runt's Poké Ball, "Well, I always have Runt, who evolved into a Quilava!"

Cherry smiled, a gleam in his eyes, "So, I see you managed to get along,"

Jackie nodded, "Yep! We also managed to catch a Mareep named Mary,"

Chiyome grunted, "So in addition to that Noibat, you only have two other Pokémon? You might want try building up that team,"

"CHIYOME!"

"GAH!" the ninja was suddenly tackled by a hug from Hero! "YOU?!"

"Oh Chiyome! It's been so long!" Hero greeted her as he pulled her into a playful headlock, which she easily escaped from.

The ninja's eyes narrowed as she drew her katana, "How many times must I tell you, don't do that!"

"I dunno," Hero stroked his chin thoughtfully, "About a kajilion?"

Professor Cherry blinked in surprise, "Hero?! What are you doing here?!"

Hero turned to the professor and grinned, "You know, travelling around with a kid who wants to challenge the league, same old same old,"

"Oh, like Kite," Cherry sighed, "And now you've chosen Jackie,"

Hero nodded, "Yep,"

Jackie shot him an exasperated look, "Okay, just WHO ARE YOU?!"

"He's a Hero," Chiyome and Cherry replied simultaneously before the madman could speak.

Jackie banged his head on the table, causing Sonja to fly off of his head in alarm, "I give up!"

"Hmhmhm," Hero chuckled as he tossed a CD-like object over to Jackie, where it landed in front of his head, "Here, take this and teach it to Sonja,"

Jackie looked up as Sonja perched on his head to stare at the TM in his hands, "What TM is this?"

The madman smiled, "That TM teaches Thief, a physical Dark-type move with 60 base power that lets you steal your opponent's held item provided they have one and you don't," he sighed, "Be lucky I got that, it was one of the last they had in stock, luckily the Mega Mall has a few ATMs to draw money from,"

Jackie blinked in surprise as Sonja stared intently at the TM, "Why'd you get this for me?"

Hero smiled, "Well, since Sonja's ability Frisk tells you when and what items your opponents are holding, I thought this move would make a good combination,"

Jackie blinked in realization, "Wow! That's brilliant!"

"Hmhmhm," Chiyome chuckled, "That's Hero for you: insane one minute, a genius the next,"

"Getting rid of Tackle would be ideal, what do you think, Sonja?" Jackie asked the Noibat, who flapped her wings happily in agreement. He turned to Professor Cherry, "Hey, since we got the Charge Badge and the Fang Badge, where do we go next?"

"You'll need to go to the city of Azul Port, where you can challenge their Water Gym, then take a boat to East Okam and challenge the Gyms there," Cherry gestured to Hazel, "Hazel here was just about to leave for there, why don't you join her?"

Jackie winked roguishly at her, "Well, what do you say, mind if we tag along?"

Hazel smiled sweetly, "Of course not, it gets kind of lonely traveling all alone, after all,"

_Traveling around Okam with a young boy and girl. _Hero thought with a sigh. _Reminds me of the good old days with Kite…_


	24. Welcome to Azul Port!

_**Chapter Twenty-Four:**_

_**Welcome to Azul Port!**_

* * *

**Night (7:47 P.M.), Azul Port**

Hero and Jackie had left Rosa City in the company of Hazel after teaching Thief to Sonja, and headed straight down south Route 9, then straight east of Route 11, finding themselves in the city of Azul Port.

They were attacked by a couple of Pokémon along the way, but Jackie handled them using Mary, who needed the experience, or Hazel would handle them using her Misdreavus, Phantasma.

The Mawile following them remained hidden from sight, her presence unknown to all but Runt, Mary, and Hero. She'd make her move soon enough, though.

When they reached Azul Port, they knew immediately that something was wrong.

A grim atmosphere hung about the city as they searched around for a place to stay the night.

Hero's eyes darted to and fro, "Something ain't right here,"

Jackie shrugged, "Well, it is night,"

On his shoulder, Sonja angled her ears, searching for signs of trouble.

Hazel's eye squinted as she scrutinized their surroundings, "I can feel trouble brewing,"

"Help!"

"Get back here!"

"Huh?" Jackie turned to the direction of the voices, just to be tackled by a uniformed man! "WAAH!"

"Oww," the uniformed man got up, just as two men came running up to them, "Oh no!"

The two men wore the purple, spiral galaxy-marked robes of Team Universal!

"There you are! We've been ordered to take you back to Azur Inc." one of the men looked up to them, and blinked in surprise, "Hey, aren't those the guys who interfered with our operations at the Power Plant?"

Jackie's eyes narrowed as he got up, "Yeah, that's us, what are you doing here?"

The uniformed man ran behind Hero, "They've taken over Azur Inc.!"

"WHAT?!" Hero and Hazel yelled.

Jackie blinked in surprise, "What's Azur Inc.?"

The uniformed man blinked back at him, "Don't you know? Azur Incorporated is the company that manufactures Okam's Poké Balls and other items, manages the Poké Marts, and controls travel of the Agua River,"

"Oh," Jackie nodded and turned back to the Universals, "And you guys took it over?"

The first robed grunt, Albaldah, nodded, "Yep! We stormed the building with our numbers, taking all inside prisoner while we search for th-"

The second grunt, Rastaban, cut him off, "Quiet! You fool!" he took out a Poké Ball, "Now we'll have to take you guys down!"

Albaldah took out his own Poké Ball, "Yeah!"

Hazel and Jackie glanced at each other, nodded, and took out their own Poké Balls, "You're going down!"

Five minutes of absolute pwnage later…

Hero held one of the unconscious grunts in each arm as they listened to the uniformed man, Jerald.

Jackie stroked his chin, "So, what do they want with Azur Inc.?"

Jerald sighed, "Apparently, they heard about our psychic research, and came to stop us,"

Hazel blinked, "Psychic research?"

"Yes," Jerald began, "You see, some psychics have the power to telepathically communicate with their Pokémon, allowing them to have a deeper understanding of each other than most trainers. Azur, Azur Inc.'s president, found this so intriguing that he actually started research on how to duplicate this effect so that any trainer could talk to their Pokémon,"

"Wow!" Jackie and Hazel's eyes widened in amazement.

Hero leaned forward, intrigued, "And how far did you come with this research?"

Jerald smiled, "Very far, actually," reaching into his uniform, he produced a strange device that looked somewhat like a blue aviator's headset, with a microphone attached to the headphones, "this device, which we call "the Whisperer," is the prototype built from our research,"

Jackie stared at the headset in awe, "You mean this thing actually lets you talk to Pokémon?"

Jerald shook his head, "No, it won't let you 'talk' to them, but telepathically communicate with them,"

Hero narrowed his eyes, "Exactly how well can it communicate with them?"

Jerald sighed, "It only lets you communicate with Pokémon if they want to, so if the Pokémon doesn't want to talk or listen to you, it won't, but if it does want to talk and listen, it will, even if it's a Dark-type!" he smiled, "You see, here's how it works: you say what you want to tell them into this microphone, then it broadcasts that to your Pokémon, whose thoughts and/or words are sent back to your ears through the headphones,"

"Hmm?" Hazel stroked her chin, "So that's what Team Universal wants? To stop your research? That seems a little stingy,"

Jackie thought back to Inu's battle against Cigar, where he had lost due to not knowing what commands the psychic was telepathically giving his Pokémon. He could see why Team Universal would want to keep a monopoly on that advantage.

"But that's not all they were after," Jerald explained as he lifted up his sleeve, revealing three black, mechanical wristbands, "They were also after these, which we call "Darkforce," developed under orders from Okam's Pokémon League!"

Hazel blinked in surprise, "League orders?"

"Yep," Jerald nodded as he removed the bracelets, "They were developed as a counter measure to Team Universal's Psychic forces," he handed them out to Jackie, Hero, and Hazel, "These are the proto-types. Basically, when turned on, they emit a small Dark-type forcefield around the user, making them immune to psychic attacks, be they from a Pokémon or a human,"

"Wow," Jackie muttered in amazement as he strapped the bracelet on, Hazel doing the same, "But why are you giving these to us?"

Jerald blinked in surprise, "Aren't you going to help me fight Team Universal?"

They blinked back, realized he was right, and nodded.

"Here," Hero gave the Darkforce back to Jerald, "You'll need this more than I do,"

Jerald looked at him in surprise, "Why?"

Hero smiled, "Well, Jackie and Hazel will need a guide to sneak through the building, and you'll want some protection from the psychics," he flexed his muscles, "Besides, I'll take them on in a full frontal assault, leaving most of their forces focused on me instead of you, who will sneak up to the top and free the president,"

Jackie still had his doubts, "But if you're taking the brunt of their forces, won't you need these more?"

Hero shrugged, "Not really, I have a high tolerance to psychic attacks," he tapped his head, "My mind is a steal trap!"

Hazel blinked in surprise, "Really? Why? How?"

Hero's eyes darted to the side, realizing he might have said too much, "Oh, um… that's not important,"

Jackie frowned. There was a lot about Hero he didn't know, but given how talkative the madman was he was sure he'd figure it out eventually.

He smiled as he turned to his companions, "Come on, guys! Let's liberate Azur Inc.!"

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**And so a new arc on Team Universal begins!**

***sweatdrops* Sorry if this chapter appears a little sloppy, I don't know why, but for some reason I'm just not feeling it today.**

**But, now that we have "the Whisperer," Pokémon speak will be rendered as human speak surrounded by ()!**

**This was a good idea, right? It does fit in well with the story, don't you think?**


	25. Take Back Azur Inc! Part 1

_**Chapter Twenty-Five:**_

_**Take Back Azur Inc.! Part 1**_

* * *

**Night (8:00 P.M.), Outside Azur Inc.**

Two robed grunts stood tall at the front entrance. Their (code)names: Tegmen and Gianfar.

Tegmen sighed, "Do we even need to be on guard? We're Team Universal! No one would dare oppose us!"

Gianfar cracked her neck, "What about that incident at the Power Plant?"

Tegmen wilted, "Well… uhh…"

"GAH!"

"Huh?" the two Universals turned as Hero ran up to them, swinging his arms like a madman.

"THEY'RE COMING!" he grabbed Gianfar by the shoulders and shook her around, causing her to slap him.

"What the?" Gianfar backed away from the lunatic, "What are you raving about?"

Hero turned to her with a crazed eye, "Don't you know? It's the fuzz! They're here to sue us for Susan!"

"What." Tegmen said flatly as he and his companion took out a single Poké Ball each, "Hey!" he scrutinized Hero, "Aren't you that guy… oh crap!" his eyes widened as he backed away, "Y-You're-"

He was knocked back by a punch from Hero, "Sorry! Gotta go!" before either grunt could stop him, he ran through the doors and into the building.

While helping Tegmen up, Gianfar placed a hand on her head to telepathically call their leader. _Galaxy Lord Milky Way! We have a maximum alert!_

The Galaxy Lord's voice returned to her. _What is it? I'm still busy interrogating the president._

_It's him! _Gianfar reported urgently. _Hero's here!_

A surge of alarm shot through Milky Way. _WHAT?! NOT HIM! Grrr… Dammit! Send everyone we have to stop him! Keep only the bare minimum left at their posts! We can't let him stop us! _Her words spread throughout the base, reaching every single grunt and supervisor she had available…

**Night (8:09 P.M.), Inside Azur Inc.**

_Well, that ain't a good sign… these guys aren't nearly as stupid as the last bunch… _Hero thought as he raced through the halls. _Hmm? At least most of the guards should be focused on me, leaving only the weakest left to pester Jackie and Hazel…_

"FREEZE!"

Hero looked up at the line of grunts in front of him, and licked his lips in anticipation. _Finally, some action! _He grabbed one of his Poké Balls and threw it, "Let's go! Minnie!"

Elsewhere…

Jackie, Hazel, and Jerald had sneaked into the building through one of the emergency exits, which had been left unguarded after Hero's "stint" at the entrance.

"Why did you get to have the Whisperer?" Hazel complained.

Jackie grinned as he turned the device on, "Because I won our game of rock-paper-scissors?"

The flat-chested witch crossed her arms, "I knew I should have gone for paper…"

After he had turned the device on, Jackie turned to Sonja and spoke into the microphone, "So, how's it hangin'?"

Sonja smiled from her perch on his shoulder, "(Very well, Jackie! I just wish you'd give me more screen-time…)"

"Wow!" Jackie beamed, "I actually understood that!" … "Oh, and… uh… sorry about the screen-time… I promise I'll give Runt a break and focus on you a little more,"

The Noibat smiled happily, "(Thanks!)"

Jackie looked forward, and smiled, "Looks like you'll be getting that screen-time right now,"

"I can't believe I'm the only one left on patrol!" The grunt grumbled as he searched the halls. Then, noticing them, he looked up and gasped, "Huh? INTRUDERS!" he took a Poké Ball and tossed it at them, "Take'em down! Espurr!"

The ball split open, releasing a red arc of energy that materialized into the form of a small, bipedal feline with disheveled pale grey fur, "(Yes, sir!)"

Jackie smirked, "Go, go, Sonja!"

"(Awww right!)" the Noibat flew off of his shoulder and toward the Espurr at a startling speed, zooming right by it and causing it to drop a yellow berry with orange spots.

"Hmm? A Sitrus Berry?" Jackie thought about this, "Okay! Sonja, use Thief!"

"(Yay!)" Sonja nodded and flew back to the Espurr, tackling it while stealing its berry at the same time.

"(I knew I should have level grinded!)" The Espurr moaned as it passed out from the super-effective Dark-type attack.

"Dammit!" the grunt cursed as he recalled his Espurr, "I'll take care of you myself!" he grabbed the robe's hood and lifted it up above his eyes, which began glowing as he channeled his psychic powers, "Prepare to be mind-raped!"

"Not so fast!" Jackie turned on the Darkforce bracelet, causing his form to glow black as the others did the same.

"N-Now-" the grunt's eyes stopped glowing, "W-What the?"

Jackie smirked as he and the others charged forward past the grunt, knocking him to the ground, "Sorry! We're immune!"

"Ugh!" the grunt grunted from where he had been knocked down. He put a hand on his head and telepathically called his superior. _Galaxy Lord Milky Way?_

_What? _The irritated Galaxy Lord's voice asked in his head.

_We have more intruders… _The grunt answered.

_WHAT?! Dammit!_

_That's not all… _The grunt continued. _They have the Darkforce and the Whisperer._

_WHAAAAAT?! _Milky Way's voice screamed in his head. _OH CRAP! OH CRAP! THIS ISN'T GOOD! _

To herself, she thought: _Destroying those was the basis of our mission, but I still need to interrogate the President to get our secret target. That leaves but one question: who is the bigger threat? Hero? Or those other intruders?_

She heard a loud explosion from several floors below, and another grunt called in. _Milky Way! We need more reinforcements! HE'S MURDERIZING US!_

She gulped. _Definitely Hero._

She turned her attention to the first grunt. _Deploy several more troops to capture them. _Her mind switched to all of the grunts in the building. _Everyone, lock all the doors! Keep the prisoners securely locked up, and head after Hero! I want several others to attack our other intruders! GO!_

The grunt sighed as he got up, "Damn kids! Scourge of the universe! Huh? OW!" he was knocked back down by the Mawile, who went on her way after the intruders, "Dammit!" he sighed, "I can't wait 'til the Grandmaster's plan comes to fruition,"

The Mawile smiled as she silently followed her targets. She'd make her move soon; she just needed to wait for the right time. Then… WHAMMO! She'd save them all in her own big damn heroes moment!


	26. Take Back Azur Inc! Part 2

_**Chapter Twenty-Six**_

_**Take Back Azur Inc.! Part 2**_

* * *

**Night (8:36 P.M.), Azur Inc. 5F**

Hero whistled as he walked down the hall, the unconscious bodies of Universal grunts and supervisors alike littering the floor.

Minnie walked beside him, her keen senses on the lookout for trouble.

"Hmm?" feeling their auras and hearing their voices, Hero walked up to a locked door, "HELLO!" he yelled at the people locked up behind the door, "I'M GOING TO BLOW DOWN THIS DOOR! PLEASE BE SURE TO STAY AS FAR AWAY FROM IT AS POSSIBLE, PREFERABLY TO THE SIDE! THANKS!" he put one hand on the door.

There was a flash of blue light, and the door fell inwards.

After several moments, a head poked out from within the room, then another, and another, and another.

Eventually, the people left the room and thanked him, before leaving for the emergency exits.

Hero sighed, "A few more floors to go," he turned to Minnie, "You getting tired, girl?"

Minnie grunted, then, reluctantly, nodded.

Hero smiled as he patted her on the head, "Don't worry, you did well, besides, after this is over, I'll let you take a nice, long vacation," he grinned, "…with Mickey, of course,"

Minnie blushed and looked away; she loved that cool, sexy lion.

"Hmhmhm," chuckling, Hero recalled her and searched for another Poké Ball, "Let's see, ah! You'll do," he tossed the Poké Ball into the air, where it released its occupant in an arc of red energy, "You're up, Lady!"

"(Ah! It feels good to be up and about again.)" the shiny serpent sighed as she stretched her rather stiff muscles.

"Ready to kick Universal ass?" he asked her.

She nodded, "(Yes I am, but I do wish you wouldn't phrase it in such an unruly way.)"

Hero grinned as they went up the next floor.

**Night (8:39 P.M.), Azur Inc. 9F**

"We're almost there to the President's room!" Jerald informed them as they sped along to the doors.

"That's good to hear!" Hazel replied, her Murkrow, Crone, and her Misdreavus, Phantasma, flying over her shoulders.

Jackie smirked, "Looks like we've got more Universals up front!"

Flying over his shoulder, Sonja grinned, "(Yay! More ass to kick!)"

Jerald squinted as they approached them, "They must be supervisors! You can tell because their robes have the golden eyes that the grunts lack while also lacking the constellations of their boss!"

Hazel gritted her teeth, "We need to reach the President as soon as possible," she turned to Jackie, "I'll take them both on, you sneak on through and fight their boss!"

"Okay!" Jackie nodded as he turned on the Darkforce. He spoke into the microphone to Sonja, "You ready, girl?"

She nodded, "(Of course, Jackie!)"

Jackie frowned; he barely heard what she had said. Since the psychic abilities granted by the Whisperer were artificial, that meant it could still be used to talk to Dark-types and be used when protected by the Darkforce, however, the telepathy was still Psychic-type based, so he found whatever response given to him when protected by the Darkforce to sound rather muffled.

"Hey!" the two Universal Supervisors, Canis Major and Canis Minor, noticed them and drew their Poké Balls, "Prepare to face the fury of Team Universal!"

"Sorry!"

"WAAH!" they dodged out of the way as Jackie charged past them.

"Gotta go!" he opened the President's doors and ran inside.

"HEY!" Canis Major ran after him, but was blocked from the doors by Crone, "WAAH!"

Hazel glared at the two supervisors, a malicious grin spreading across her pale face, "Sorry, but you'll have to deal with me first,"

The two supervisors gulped, "Sh*t!"

**Night (8:39 P.M.), Azur Inc.'s President's Office**

Galaxy Lord Milky Way paced up and down in front of the bound and gagged man, "I don't know how, but you've resisted every attempt to psychically tear the information from you,"

Inwardly, the man smiled. While three of the Darkforces had been sent away, he secretly kept one for himself in a place no one would think (or want) to look.

He was a short yet stout man of fifty-something years, with a short boxed beard that emphasized his strong jawline and a well-maintained businessman's moustache. His azure hair was balding at the top but well grown at the sides. He wore a black eye patch over one eye and a monocle over the other eye, which shined like a lapis lazuli. He wore a rather ruffled azure business suit with vertical indigo stripes.

Frowning, she walked over to him, knelt down, and ripped off the gag covering his mouth; her cold, sapphire eyes glaring daggers at him, "Now, before I lose what little patience and control I have left, you are going to answer me this question: where is it?"

President Azur glared at her defiantly, "I won't tell you anything, bitch,"

Her frown widening further in displeasure, she grabbed him by the ropes binding him and lifted him up, "Fine. I've played nice so far," she threw him into his own desk, knocking it over, "Now, I'll be a bitch," walking over to him, she raised her shapely leg, and brought it back down into the elderly man's stomach, eliciting a gasp of pain from him as her sharp heel dug into his belly, "Talk!"

She removed her leg, and the man sat up, holding a hand to his injured stomach, "Never…" he wheezed.

_Dammit! _Milky Way cursed mentally. _If I don't get it from this old fart, the Grandmaster will have my head!_

_I most certainly will…_

The Galaxy Lord blinked in surprise. _Grandmaster Andromeda?! W-What?!_

_You heard me, Milky Way… _Andromeda answered her. _You've taken too long as is. I'm on my way… _With that said, the Grandmaster's voice left her head.

Milky Way's eyes turned bloodshot as she held a hand to her head. _DAMMIT DAMMIT DAMMIT! I need to work quickly, before the Grandmaster gets here!_

She turned back to Azur, "Now old man, this is the last time I'm going to ask you this, so you'd better make your answer count: Where. Is. The. Master Ball?!"

Azur grinned defiantly, "Sorry, I have no idea what you're talking about,"

"GRAAAAH!" snarling with fury, she telekinetically lifted Azur's desk into the air, and prepared to drop it on the company president.

"STOP RIGHT THERE!"

"Huh?" she turned around as Jackie burst in through the doors…

* * *

**Authur's Note**

**And we have a very interesting chapter here, we've (partially) seen some more of Hero's Pokémon, seen more of Galaxy Lord Milky Way, and now we know that the Grandmaster is coming... They are in some serious sh*t...**

**P.S. How are you finding things? Do you like it so far? Is there anything you feel I could or need to improve on? If there is, you can tell me, just don't be too scathing or brutal.**


	27. Take Back Azur Inc! Part 3

_**Chapter Twenty-Seven:**_

_**Take Back Azur Inc.! Part 3**_

* * *

**Night (8:43 P.M.), Azur Inc.'s President's Office**

"What do you want?" Milky Way growled at him.

Jackie smirked, "To stop you! That's what!"

Frowning in displeasure, the Galaxy Lord telekinetically flung the President's desk out of the windows and into the city, where it would go on down to crush a bank robber. She placed a hand on her head and sighed, "Lousy, good-for-nothing brats!"

Jackie's eyes shifted to Azur, who was slowly getting back up, "Hey, uh… Azur, are you okay?"

Azur looked up to the boy and smiled, "I guess, been better, been worse,"

"Quiet!" Milky snarled as she turned back to Jackie, "So, you're the kid with the Darkforce and the Whisperer? Dammit. Since mind-raping them out of you won't work, I guess we'll have to settle things the old fashioned way," she lifted her robe and took out a Poké Ball, "Go! Gothita!"

The Poké Ball split open, releasing a red arc of energy that materialized into the form of a small, humanoid Pokémon. A small tuft of black hair stuck up from the top of her head, and two white, bow-shaped feelers emerged from the sides of her purple head. Her two eyes were blue with three eyelashes each, and her lips were small and red.

Jackie narrowed his eyes, "If it's a Pokémon battle you want, it's a Pokémon battle you'll get!" he took out a Poké Ball and tossed it into the air, "Go, go, Mary!"

"(Bring it!)" Mary bleated as she was released. Yes, she was trying to dial back on her fake accent, since _some_ people found it annoying. It still flared up whenever she got really angry, though.

_Okay! _She thought to herself. _This is my big chance! I will stand tall and proud as I fight!_

_Okay, we're lucky she didn't just crush me with the desk when she had the chance, but we'll have to fight our hardest to take her down while we can! _Jackie clenched his fist as he gave his first order, "Mary! Use Charge! Then, Thunder Shock!"

"(Right!)" electricity arced over her body as the Mareep powered up for her next attack.

Milky Way's eyes glowed purple as she telepathically ordered her Pokémon. _Gothita_, _use Psybeam!_

"(Take this!)" the Gothita brought her tiny arms together and fired a colorful ray of psychic energy at the yellow sheep, forcing her back several inches.

"(That all you got?)" Mary taunted, her Charge having helped her take the attack, as well as powering up her next one as she launched a jolt of electricity back at her attacker.

"(GAAH!)" the Gothita cried out as the jolt shocked her skin.

_Dammit! _Milky Way cursed. _Gothita,_ _raise a Light Screen, followed by Double Slap! Then finish her with a Psybeam headshot!_

"(Talk to the hand!)" the small psychic raised her hand, causing a yellow barrier to rise in front of her before disappearing. (Bitch slap!)" she raced over to Mary.

"Mary! Try to dodge and use Cotton Spore, then follow up with a Thunder Shock!" Jackie spoke into the Whisperer's microphone.

Mary nodded as she moved to the side of the Gothita, then prepared to launch her wool at her in a Cotton Spore, only for the Gothita to turn around and slap her right upside the head! "(Guh!)"

Before she could recover, the Gothita dealt another slap to the side of her face, which brought her to the ground, "(Had enough? Too bad!)" bringing her stubby arms together, the Gothita launched the colorful psychic ray directly at Mary's face, causing the poor lamb to cry out in agony from the direct shot to the head, before her eyes shut in defeat.

"Mary!" Jackie called out worriedly as he reached for her Poké Ball.

When her work was done, the Gothita leaned down to the lamb, grinning maliciously, "(How's it feel to be left on your knees, slut?)"

To the Gothita's surprise, Mary's eyes snapped open, "(Dunno, you tell me!)"

"(GAAH!)" before the Gothita could react, she was hit pointblank by Mary's last Thunder Shock!

"(… You bitch…)" the Gothita dropped to her knees and passed out.

"(Right… back at… you…)" Mary's eyes drooped shut as she fainted.

"You did great, Mary. I'm sure Runt would be proud," Jackie sighed as he recalled her. He turned to the Noibat flying over his shoulder, "Go, go, Sonja!"

"(Awww right!)" the Noibat flew into the battlefield.

_Weak whore. _Milky Way gritted her teeth as she recalled the fainted Gothita. "Your turn, Smoochum!" she tossed another Poké Ball into the air, where it split open, releasing a light purple-skinned, blonde-haired, baby-like creature.

(Ooh! A dragon!)" the Smoochum clapped her cream-colored arms, "(I could just rip you limb from limb!)" her eyes narrowed, "(I will too!)"

"(Why you gotta hate?)" Sonja gulped.

_Hold on! _Jackie paused as he scrutinized the Smoochum. _It's a Psychic-type, I know that, and it evolves into Jynx, which is an Ice-type with a Psychic-subtype, but… is Smoochum part Ice-type too? Hmm… I don't think it is… but, then again, it could probably learn some Ice-type moves even if it wasn't, so we'd better play it safe and end this quickly. Besides, Smoochums have poor defense, so one, super-effective Thief should end it._

He nodded, "Okay! Sonja, end this quickly! Use Thief!"

The Galaxy Lord smiled. _Smoochum, evade, hit her with Powder Snow, and finish her with Blizzard!_

"(Sweet!)" Sonja rushed towards the Smoochum, but before she could hit her, the Smoochum had disappeared, only to reappear behind her!

_Damn! _Jackie cursed. _I didn't know it could move that fast!_

His worries increased when the Smoochum took a deep breath, and exhaled a chilling gust of wind and snow that struck the off-guard Sonja, who collapsed to the ground as her wings locked from the super-effective cold.

Smiling sweetly, the Smoochum ran over to her, and hit her with a brutal storm of howling winds and chilling snow.

"Ah!" Jackie gasped, "SONJAAAAA!"

The Noibat had been frozen solid.

The Galaxy Lord smirked as Jackie hurriedly recalled his dragon, "What? Did you seriously think you were gonna win? Well, sorry," she grinned sadistically, "But if you think you can beat me, you've got another thing comin'!"


	28. Take Back Azur Inc! Part 4

_**Chapter Twenty-Eight:**_

_**Take Back Azur Inc.! Part 4**_

* * *

**Night (8:51 P.M.), Azur Inc.'s President's Office**

Jackie swallowed nervously as he held Runt's Poké Ball in his hand.

_Mary went down in a double knockout, and Sonja was frozen solid… _He gritted his teeth. _Please, Runt, you're our last hope!_

"Go, go, Runt!" he tossed the Poké Ball into the air, where it split open, releasing the Quilava inside.

"(It's fightin' time!)" Runt stood up on his hind legs and glared down at the Smoochum, "(So, you're my opponent?)"

The Smoochum nodded while smiling sweetly, "(Yep! I'm going to rip out your heart and eat it for dinner!)"

Runt narrowed his eyes, "(You're one f*cked up little girl, you know that?)"

"Okay!" Jackie spoke to Runt through the microphone, "Start off with a Quick Attack to knock her off balance!"

"(No.)" Runt answered.

"WHAT?!" Jackie screamed into the microphone, causing both Pokémon on the field to wince. Was Runt acting rebellious again?

Runt shook his head and whispered, "(Look, I think I learned a new move, Flame Wheel… and I forgot Leer.)"

"Oh," Jackie sighed in relief as he whispered back, "At least you didn't get rid of Smokescreen, that's a lot more useful than people give it credit for,"

Runt grinned, "(So, ready to see my Flame Wheel in action?)"

Jackie smiled, "Bring it,"

"HELLO!"

Jackie blinked and turned back to Milky Way, "What?"

She was steaming, as was her Smoochum, "Stop ignoring us!"

Jackie smirked, "Fine! Runt, show'em what you're made of!"

"(Okay!)" Runt grinned as he ran forward. His form set ablaze, and he jumped into the air, where he began spinning, and landed back down, rolling towards the Smoochum as a fiery wheel of death!

"(Crud!)" the Smoochum ran out of the way to avoid the super-effective flames, but Runt simply made a turn, and was on her tail yet again!

Large veins bulged on the Galaxy Lord's forehead as her teeth grounded against each other. _Smoochum! DO SOMETHING!_

"(I AM! I'M RUNNING!)" the Smoochum answered as she made another turn to avoid the Flame Wheel, which turned to follow her once more.

Unfortunately, she ended up running into a corner, "(Oh crud! MOOOOOMMYYYYYY!)" the Smoochum turned around and resigned herself to her fate as she was run over by the tire of fire, which continued to roll up the wall, and then along the ceiling, before dropping back down to the floor in front of Jackie.

Runt bowed his head. _I have avenged you, Sonja._

A sixth set of veins bulged on Milky Way's face as she recalled her Smoochum. Muttering various curses that would put even the most hardened of criminals to shame, she took out her last Poké Ball and tossed it into the air, where it released its occupant, "KILL THOSE BASTARDS, KIRLIAAAA!"

The white bipedal Pokémon stood up on her skinny green legs, her green, shoulder-length hair overshadowing her red eyes. Posing like a ballerina, she tapped her right knee with her pointy left foot. Holding her two-fingered hands into the air, she spun around, her white tutu fluttering.

"(What?)" Runt blinked in surprise, the Kirlia was spinning towards him!

He took a step back, but the Kirlia kept spinning towards him.

_Stay away from him… _The Mawile gritted her teeth from her super-secret hiding spot under a piece of furniture.

Jackie swallowed nervously. _What the heck is going on?_

When the Kirlia reached Runt, she spun around him in a circle, stopping when she was right in front of him again. She took her hands and placed them on his head, caressing him rather lovingly.

Runt swallowed nervously, "(Uhh… what?)"

The Kirlia looked up, her beautiful, red eyes locking with his ruby ones… and a massive, psychotic grin spread across her face as her eyes began glowing with Psychic energy, "(Hiiiiiiiiiii…)"

"(Ugh!)" his eyes widened, "(GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!)" Runt roared in agony as his mind was ravaged by her psychokinetic forces. Foaming at the mouth, he collapsed to the ground.

Jackie and the Mawile stared in shock.

"Hmhmhm! Mahahahahahahaha!" Milky Way laughed maniacally, her Kirlia joining in, "Hahahaha!" she wiped a tear away from her eye, "You have no idea how many Pokémon fall for that!"

"(Hihihihihihihi!)" the Kirlia held her hands to her sides as she broke into a giggling fit, "(That never gets old!)"

Grinning, the Galaxy Lord glared at the stunned Jackie, "What? Was that your last Pokémon? Oh, too bad! Looks like we win," she gestured to Kirlia, "Hey, would you mind finishing him? Thunderbolt should do the trick, but I guess Magical Leaf would work,"

"(Goodie!)" the Kirlia clapped her hands as she spun towards Jackie, who backed away fearfully, "(Hmm? I could use Magical Leaf to cut you into lots of tiny pieces, or Thunderbolt to roast you alive with electricity!)"

Jackie gulped as he backed further away from the psychotic Kirlia. With the Whisperer on, he had understood every word she had said. "Uhh?!" he felt behind him, she had backed him up against a wall.

The Kirlia smiled psychotically as she approached him, "(Ooh! I know! I can still use my Psychic powers to kill you!)" her eyes began glowing as she telekinetically lifted the remaining furniture in the room, "(I can just bludgeon you with all of this stuff!)" Jackie gulped as she sorted through the materials she had levitated into the air, "(Let's see, chair… maybe, how about these office supplies, nah… ooh! How about this cou-, huh?)"

The couch she had lifted shifted, and she turned it upside down to investigate.

"(HIYA!)"

"(WAAH!)" the Kirlia fell backwards as the Mawile jumped out from under the couch!

Jackie blinked in surprise, "What the? That… Mawile… the heck is she doing here?!"

Milky Way and her Kirlia stared at the Mawile in astonishment, "The f*ck?!"

The Mawile, her big damn heroes moment done, glared at the Kirlia, "(You. Hurt. My. Runt!)"

The Kirlia got up and glared back at her, "(So? All I did was rape his mind, I do that to a lot of people. Their minds all taste differently. I wonder…)" her psychotic smile reappeared, "(HOW WILL YOURS TASTE?!)" she rushed at the Mawile, arms outstretched.

The Mawile bent down before the charging Kirlia… and launched forward headfirst with Iron Head!

"(Guh!)" the Kirlia's eyes widened in agony as she was struck by the Mawile's steel-hard head, and sent flying straight into her trainer!

"Gah!" the Galaxy Lord was knocked to the floor by her own Pokémon, "GRAAA!" she threw the unconscious Kirlia into the wall as she tried to get back up, "Damn that worthless piece of sh*t! I'll ta-, Ugh!" she froze in terror, the Mawile's second mouth was inches from her face, steel fangs bared.

The Mawile glared at her, "(If Dark-type attacks are super-effective on Psychic-type Pokémon, does that mean that they're super-effective on Psychic-type humans as well?)" she smiled as the color drained from Milky Way's face, "(Maybe I should test it out on you with my Bite?)"


	29. Take Back Azur Inc! Part 5

_**Chapter Twenty-Nine:**_

_**Take Back Azur Inc.! Part 5**_

* * *

**Night (9:04 P.M.), Azur Inc.'s President's Office**

"Thank you all!" Azur, having been freed from his bonds, shook each of their hands in turn, including the Mawile's.

"You're welcome, sir," Hazel smiled.

"I'm just glad you're safe, boss," Jerald sighed in relief.

Jackie sighed, "That was a tough battle," he bent down and patted the Mawile on her head, "Thanks a lot, me and Runt would have been goners if it wasn't for you,"

The Mawile turned red, "(No need to thank me, I was only doing it for Runt.)"

Jackie smiled, "(Of course.)"

They had all been gathered in the President's office after the defeat of Milky Way, save for Hero, who was still busy fighting off the hordes of Universal grunts and freeing the prisoners.

"One question," Jerald spoke up, "What do we do with her?" he gestured to the Galaxy Lord, who had been restrained by Azur's former bindings. Her psychotic Kirlia had already been recalled.

They had no need to fear her, as they were all wearing a Darkforce bracelet.

Azur stoked his azure beard, "Good question. We can't turn her in to the police until she gets her own Darkforce, or else she's bound to escape. But first, I think you deserve a reward,"

Hazel flushed, "Oh! That's really not necessary; we were just doing the right thing,"

Jackie nodded, "Yeah,"

"Nonsense!" he searched his office, picking up several items that had been ripped out of several different safes, then handed them to Hazel and Jackie, "Here! For you: one Net Ball, one Premier Ball, one Quick Ball, one Full Restore, and five Luxury Balls!"

"Thanks!" Jackie accepted as he put the items in his bag.

Hazel nodded as she did the same, "Don't you think that this is a little much?"

"No, no, no!" President Azur shook his head as he promised Jerald a large raise, "You saved my life after all! And…" he walked over to where his desk had once been, and lifted up the rather ruffled rug, revealing the floor tiles. He lifted one somewhat loose-looking tile, and pulled out a strange Poké Ball.

The sphere had two halves divided by a black equator with a white button. The bottom half was white, while the top half was purple with a white 'M' on front and a pink circle on either side.

"This… is the Master Ball," Azur explained to their wide eyes while Milky Way watched in astonishment, "It is the ultimate Poké Ball, limited in quantity, and is guaranteed to catch any Pokémon without fail. We had been developing it for a while now, but stopped research on it when the first prototype was built. After all, Arceus only knows what someone could do with something like this! You could even catch the gods of our world with this thing!" he sighed, "Luckily, Team Universal was stopped before they could get their hands on it,"

Jackie grinned, "Looks like we got here just in time!"

Azur nodded, "Yes, speaking of which, what brought you here anyway?"

He gestured to himself and Hazel, "We came to fight the Gym Leader, then we planned on heading over to East Okam,"

Azur smiled, "Of course! How's this, I'll arrange for you to have premium lodgings for the night, free of charge, put in a good word for you two so you can battle the Gym Leader tomorrow, and provide you with free transport to East Okam over the Agua River!"

Jackie and Hazel's eyes brightened up at once, "Really?"

The company president grinned, "Of course, here, let me put away the Master Ball," he walked toward the tile, then fell back on the ground as the building shook, "What the? WHAT'S GOING ON?!"

"WOOAH!" they fell over onto the floor. It felt as if the entire building was shaking!

Jackie glared at Milky Way as the Master Ball rolled past, "ARE YOU DOING THIS?!"

The Galaxy Lord stood still, her eyes widened in terror as the roof of the office glowed in a purple light… and was ripped off of the walls and into the night air.

They stared above at the being who levitated in.

The pitch-black robe with long, trailing sleeves was similar to a grim reaper's, save for its decorations.

On the robe's chest region was a large spiral galaxy, rotating around the golden 'U' with the purple eye inside. Various other galaxies, constellations, and other phenomenons one would expect to see through a telescope decorated the robe. All were in motion, as if they were traveling through the depths of space.

On the robe's hood were two unmoving objects: a sun and a moon, each with a purple eye inside. Above these was a third, larger eye that glowed in a golden light.

The being looked down at their stunned expressions, "Hello," it spoke, its voice's pitch a midpoint between a man and a woman's, not too low and not too high, "I see you bested my Galaxy Lord,"

Milky Way struggled to her feet, tears in her eyes as she frantically shook her head, "PLEASE! I'M SORRY! Save me, Grandmaster! I can't go to jail! Not again!"

The Grandmaster telekinetically lifted the robe's hood, revealing a strange illusionary mask.

Where the left eye would be, there was a black hole, which was surrounded by various astronomical objects like nebulae, star systems, and interstellar clouds.

"Hmm…" the Grandmaster contemplated this, before letting out a sigh, "Very well, I guess now I have to save you on principle,"

"YES! THANK YOU!" the psychopathic Galaxy Lord bowed her head as she was surrounded by psychic energy and lifted into the air, "Thank you, Grandmaster Andromeda!"

"You are welcome," the Grandmaster turned back down to the others, who were still too stunned to speak, "So, you are the one who's been meddling in my affairs?"

Jackie just stared, unable to speak.

"I will take that as a 'Yes'," from under the mask, the Grandmaster's eyes gleamed, "Ah, the Master Ball,"

"Ugh!" Azur turned backwards as the Master Ball was levitated into the air, "NOOOO!"

"Yessssss," Andromeda hissed as the Master Ball disappeared into the robe's right sleeve, "I do believe I have everything I need, so I must bid you adieu," the Grandmaster glanced at the bound Milky Way, who was grinning happily, "Make no mistake, you will be punished for your failure,"

The Galaxy Lord's smile disappeared, "WHY?!"

"Because," Andromeda explained as they levitated into the night sky, "you failed your mission. I gave you command of 150 troops: 140 grunts and 10 supervisors, and because of you, they were all captured. But, considering that the Master Ball is now in my possession, I guess I could lower your sentence a little," the Grandmaster pondered this before coming to a conclusion, "I know, I will leave your punishment in the hands of your Pokémon,"

"HEY!"

Andromeda stopped and glared back down, "What do you want?"

Jackie stood up on shaky legs, "Give the Master Ball back!"

"Hmhmhm," the Grandmaster chuckled, "No. Do you really think you can challenge me? All of your Pokémon have been beaten, and, even if your Darkforce prevents me from harming you directly with my Psychic powers, I could still crush you with my own Pokémon. Maybe later, but until then, this is goodbye,"

With that, the roof settled back down over the walls, and the Grandmaster levitated away with its prize.


	30. Calming Down

_**Chapter Thirty:**_

_**Calming Down**_

* * *

**Night (10:38 P.M.), Sea King Hotel Penthouse**

Jackie sighed as he rested on the comfy bed.

After Andromeda had made off with Milky Way and the Master Ball, it had taken a while for things to settle down.

Hero arrived a few minutes later, fresh from finishing off all of the grunts, who would be taken into "special custody."

After Azur regained his composure, he had sent them to the luxury hotel where they would stay the night. They had to share the same room, but would sleep on separate beds.

Their Pokémon were dropped off at the Pokémon Center to heal, and the Mawile had stayed there, watching over Runt.

Hero, meanwhile, was talking things over with Azur, asking questions about what had happened, and informing him about what would happen to the grunts and the investigation into Team Universal.

Jackie frowned. _There's a lot I need to ask about Hero. Just who the heck is he?_

"Hey," he heard Hazel call over, "Can't sleep?"

He sighed, "Yeah,"

Hazel got up, "Me either,"

"Halo!" the penthouse door opened and Hero came in, sleeping bag in hand.

"Huh?" they stared at him as he set up his sleeping bag.

"So, how's it goin'?" he asked them as he settled into the sleeping bag, which made him look like a giant Caterpie.

Jackie sighed, "How do you think? All my Pokémon are out cold, and that Grandmaster took the Master Ball for Arceus knows what!"

Hero sighed as he slithered over to the hotel fridge, "Sheesh, lighten up. It'll be taken care of," he pulled out some soft drinks and slithered back over to them, "Here, have some Pepesi,"

"Okay," Jackie sighed as he and Hazel walked over to get the drinks, "So, what are you having? Beer?"

Hero responded with a horrified expression, "Uhh… I don't drink…"

Hazel blinked as she drunk her Pepesi, "Why?"

Hero reached inside of his sleeping bag and pulled out a picture, "This is why. You see, it all began…"

They stared at the picture, not listening to Hero's explanation, "… and that is why I am forbidden from entering the Hevah region,"

"Uhh… Hero?" Hazel asked.

He blinked, "What?"

She looked up at him and turned the picture around, "This is a picture of you, your Blaziken, and some other Pokémon I've never seen before wearing wedding dresses, dancing, and looking absolutely wasted,"

Hero flushed red and took the picture away, stuffing it into his sleeping bag, "O…kay, wrong picture, but you get my point: I can't handle alcohol. Please forget what you just saw,"

Jackie stared at the madman in amazement, "What happened?"

Hero scratched behind his head nervously, "I'd rather not talk about it. Let's just say that it involved beer, a friend's wedding, and the destruction of two nudist colonies, other than that, I remember nothing,"

From within Hero's Great Ball, Token laughed, "(Mwahahahaha! Burn! Buuuurn! Mwahahahahaha! Best. Day. Ever!)"

From her Poké Ball, Inferna, Hero's Blaziken, sighed, "(Keep it up, and I'll tell him what else you did.)"

Token smiled sinisterly, "(Do it, and I'll tell him what _you_ did _TO him_!)"

Inferna flushed, "(I was drunk out of my mind!)"

Hero rested on the floor, "Either way, rest up; you'll need your strength for the battle tomorrow,"

Jackie drowned the rest of his Pepesi, "Good point, any ideas for when we battle the Gym Leader?"

"Hmm?" Hero thought as his eyes closed, "Let's see, he uses Water-types, so an Electric-type like Mary would be most effective, but shy away from using Runt, as a Fire-type he'd be at a disadvantage. Going with Mary would be your best bet, but you should save her for last while using your other Pokémon to whittle down his defenses. That way, when he brings out his most powerful Pokémon, you'll have Mary at her best condition to take him on,"

"Wow, thanks!" Jackie nodded, "You're a real help, Hero,"

"Yaaaaaaaw, I know," Hero yawned, "Now let me get some sleep, I'm tired from bashing grunts and freeing prisoners,"

"Okay," Hazel nodded as she went back to her bed for the night.

Jackie lied back down on his own bed. _A lot happened today. We took revenge on that Mawile, worked on a farm, caught an Electric-type, won our second badge, met a ninja and a witch, fought off Team Universal, fought a Galaxy Lord, got saved by that same Mawile, and met the boss of the Universals._

He blinked in surprise. _Damn! And this is just my third day?! Wow! This journey is gonna be pretty intense. I wonder what wonders we'll see? Maybe I'll be like those kids who end up catching a legendary!_

… _Nah, no way I'll get that lucky… maybe a semi-legendary? Yeah, probably, I mean, it's not too rare._

He looked up. _I wonder who the Gym Leader is? What kind of guy is he like? How tough will he be? Can I beat him?_

He smiled as he closed his eyes. _Hopefully…_

Hero rolled around in his sleeping bag. _Grandmaster Andromeda? Could it be…_

**Unknown**

She ran through them, knocking the robed Psychics to and fro as she escaped from their prison.

"STOP HER!" one man, their leader, ordered.

"She's too powerful!" the grunt screamed as she was sent flying by a kick from the beast.

"NOOOO!" the leader screamed as the beast disappeared into the woods. "Damn it all!"

He grounded his teeth together as he removed his hood.

His amber eyes were bloodshot with fury. His hair was a bright yellow, with thick, curved, orange hair spikes jutting out backwards from the top and sides, leading to some to mockingly refer to him as Sun-head. Judging by his face, one could assume he was 28 years old. His robe was similar to his colleagues', except that it was white instead of purple or black, denoting him as a scientist.

"Doctor Sirius!" his subordinate ran up to him, "She got away again!"

"I can see that, you lummox!" the doctor snarled. He turned back to where she had disappeared, "You may have escaped me once again, but make no mistake, I will capture you! For just as Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky, I am the brightest mind in all of Team Universal!"


	31. Sexy? No Sexy!

_**Chapter Thirty-One:**_

_**Sexy? No Sexy!**_

* * *

**Morning (7:42 A.M.), Pokémon Center**

"They're right here," Nurse Joy showed him his healed Pokémon.

"It's good to see you guys!" Jackie greeted them as they rushed forward to meet him.

"(Jackie!)" Sonja tackled him to the ground in a hug.

"Yeah, it's me," he patted her on the head as she nuzzled him. He turned to Mary and Runt, "How are you guys?"

Runt sighed, "(I don't know, I got mind-raped, how do you think?)"

"(Don't worry!)" the Mawile lifted him up in a hug, "(I took care of that psycho for you!)"

"(HEY! Lemme down!)" Runt struggled in her grip while Mary watched enviously.

"So…" Jackie looked down to the large Mawile, "Have you been following us ever since we beat you?"

The Mawile dropped Runt and examined her claws, an indifferent look on her face, "(Maybe, why do you ask?)"

Jackie grinned, "Because, I was wondering: would you mine joining our team?"

"(WHAT?!)" Mary looked aghast, "(Why ever would we need _her _for?)" The Mawile shot her a glare.

Jackie smiled, "She's a dual-type Steel and Fairy, which gives her an immunity to Poison and Dragon-type moves, nine resistances, and makes her only weaknesses Ground and Fire-type attacks. If I'm not mistaken, her ability is Intimidate, which lowers our opponents' attack. That sounds useful to me!" he rummaged through his bag and pulled out the Premier Ball, which was the same as a Poké Ball, but with a white upper half instead of a red one and had a red equator instead of a black one, "So, what do you say?"

The Mawile smiled. _Perfect. _She shrugged, "(Weeeeeell, I guess. After all, I've got nothing better to do. Why not?)" she tapped the Premier Ball.

It split open, releasing a white arc of energy that pulled her into it. The ball rocked back and forth three times, then clicked, indicating that she had been captured.

"YEAH!" Jackie lifted the Premier Ball high into the air, "I caught a Mawile!"

Sonja flew up and perched on his head, then spread her wings triumphantly, "(That he did!)"

Mary dropped to the floor in disappointment, muttering, "(Damn it all…)"

From within the Premier Ball, the Mawile frowned as a vein bulged on her forehead, "(You didn't capture me; I let myself be captured…)" she surveyed her surroundings, "(Wow, it's a lot roomier than I thought it would be…)"

Jackie smiled as he threw the Premier Ball, "Go, go, Mawile!"

The ball split open, releasing a white arc of energy that, in a flurry of white spots, materialized into the form of the Mawile, who struck a rather alluring pose while blowing a kiss towards Runt, "(Bringing sexy back!)"

They stared at her.

She blinked, flushed, and swallowed nervously, "(What?! You all say something when you're released! Can't I do it too?)"

Runt swallowed nervously, "(Uhh… yeah, just don't do something that provocative…)"

Jackie nodded while trying to stop Sonja from imitating her, "Yeah, less provocative, you don't want people getting bad ideas,"

Mary continued staring. _That. Dirty. Slut…_

The Mawile looked down at her feet in a mixture of shame and embarrassment, "(Sorry...)"

"Okay!" Jackie stroked his chin, "First up, you'll need a name,"

She blinked in astonishment, "(A n-n-name?)"

"Yeah," Jackie nodded, "A nickname. I mean, there are tons of Mawiles out there, so you need a unique name to set yourself apart,"

She gulped, "(My size won't be enough?)"

Jackie nodded, and her shoulders drooped, "(Fine, whadda ya got?)"

He stroked his chin in thought, "Hmm? Mawile is the Deceiver Pokémon, soooo… I'll call you Deceit!"

She looked up and blinked, "(Deceit?)" she grinned while stroking her chin, "(Deceit, yeah, I like that… YES!)" she smiled while bearing her fists, "(Yeah! From now on, call me Deceit!)"

Jackie grinned, "Glad you like it! Now…" he stood up, "Let's go get that badge!"

"(YEAH!)" they cheered as they headed for the Gym.

**Morning (8:01 A.M.), Azul Port Pokémon Gym**

"You guys ready?" Jackie asked them as they followed him into the Gym.

"(Yeah!)" they cheered yet again.

"Hiya!" he was greeted by Hero from the side of the arena, which resembled a large fifty by forty foot pond, complete with lily pads whose diameters ranged from one to seven feet.

"Hello!" Hazel called over from her spot on the ring.

"Hi!" he looked around, "Hey, where's the Gym Leader?"

"Right here!" Azur walked in, followed by a young man in his thirties who resembled him somewhat, save for the balding.

Jackie and Hazel stared in astonishment, "Azur? You're the Gym Leader?!"

"Actually, I am," the other man walked out from behind Azur, "I'm Azur's son, Río. I'm the Gym Leader, but Dad used to be, until he took over the business when he turned 45."

Azur grinned, "But, since you guys saved me, I might as well do you the honor of being your opponent for the Gym Battle," he gestured to his son, "Río will be the judge,"

"Okay," Jackie nodded, "So, who are you gonna fight first, me or Hazel?"

"Wahahahaha!" Azur gave a hearty laugh, "I'll take you both on!"

They blinked in surprise, "Really?"

Azur gave them a wide grin, "Of course! Me versus you two! I'll have four, and you'll get two each. Last one standing wins it for their side. Let's see how well you work together,"

Jackie and Hazel glanced at each other, grinned, and turned back to Azur, "Bring it!" they ran over to their side of the ring.

"Whoooo!" Azur whooped as he ran over to his side of the ring while his son, Río, walked in-between them outside of the ring.

In his hands, Río held two flags: one red, and one green, "Okay!" he called out to them, "This will be a simple two on one double battle between the challengers: Jackie and Hazel, and the former Azul Port Gym Leader: Azur! The match will be decided by the last Pokémon standing! Are you ready?"

They all nodded, shouting, "Aye!"

"Good! Then," he threw down the two flags, "Begin!"

Hero's eyes gleamed, "This is gonna be fun!"


	32. VS - Azul Port Gym Leader! Part 1

_**Chapter Thirty-Two:**_

_**VS – Azul Port Gym Leader: Azur! Part 1**_

* * *

**Morning (8:05 A.M.), Azul Port Pokémon Gym**

"Go, go, Deceit!" Jackie ordered.

"(I'mma kick your ass!)" the large Mawile ran out and jumped onto a lily pad.

"You're up, Crone!" Hazel tossed out a Poké Ball, which split open, releasing its occupant in an arc of red energy.

"(Hello, dearies.)" the Murkrow greeted them as she took to the air.

Azur took out a Dive Ball and a Net Ball and tossed them out, "Swim strong! Muddy, Dewy!"

The Dive Ball released a Seel, which was, fittingly, a seal with white fur, a pair of tusks on her lower jaw, and a horn on her head.

The Net Ball released a Quagsire, which was a light blue, bipedal, amphibious creature with a broad head, wide mouth and tiny, black eyes.

"Okay! Muddy, focus on the Murkrow! Shoot her down with Water Gun!" Azur ordered the Quagsire, who began shooting balls of water at the airborne Murkrow. He shifted his attention to the Seel, "Dewy, use Waterfall on that Mawile!"

"(Okie dokie!)" Dewy nodded and went underwater.

"Deceit!" Jackie called her, "Jump over to Muddy using the lily pads and hit him with Iron Head!"

"(Right!)" the large Mawile jumped off of her lily pad and to another one. Then she jumped off of that one, only to be hit by a column of water that burst from the pond, "(GAH!)"

"(Hiya!)" Dewy swam up the column in a spiral, tackling Deceit to the ceiling when she reached the top.

"(Damn it all!)" the Mawile cursed as she fell down from the ceiling and into the water.

"(Guh!)" she swam back up to the surface and grabbed onto a lily pad, which happened to be the one Muddy was standing on.

"(Ah!)" spying the Quagsire, she launched out of the water and tackled him into the air with her steel-hard head!

"Now's our chance!" Hazel called up to her Murkrow, "Crone! Use Peck, followed by Wing Attack on Muddy!"

"(Yes, Dear.)" the Murkrow flew towards the airborne Quagsire and hit him with her beak, "(See you later!)" she then knocked him back to earth by slapping him with her wing.

"Deceit! Quick, finish him off with Bite!" Jackie ordered, and the large Mawile nodded.

Smiling, Deceit jumped into the air towards the falling Quagsire, spun around, and grabbed him in her steel, jaw-like horns, "(Hasta la vista, baby!)" she spun around again and again several times before releasing Muddy, the momentum sending him straight into the wall outside of the ring!

"(Owww…)" the Quagsire moaned as he slid down the wall to the floor.

Azur frowned as he recalled the Quagsire, "Sorry, Muddy," he took out another Dive Ball and tossed it out, "Looks like you're up, Beaut!"

The ball split open, releasing a Finneon, which was a football-shaped fish whose tail fins took the shape of a butterfly's wings, "(Hello!)"

Río smiled as he watched the battle, "This is a good match,"

"You bet!" Hero called up from where he rested on the railings.

"It's good to have you here, Hero," Río frowned as he remembered something, "Hey, have Kite and Hirsti gotten hitched yet?"

Hero blinked, "Not yet. He says he's still waiting for the right moment,"

"Oh," Río nodded in understanding, "It's always hard finding the right time,"

Azur raised his hand and pointed to Crone, "Dewy, hit the Murkrow with Ice Shard, then duck under water, pop up somewhere else, and hit her again! Rinse, lather, and repeat!"

"(Aye, aye!)" the Seel opened her mouth and fired multiple shards of ice at the Murkrow, who squawked in surprise at the super-effective hit. Before she could be counter-attacked, Dewy dived under water and reappeared several feet away to fire more ice shards.

"Beaut, Water Pulse that Mawile while she's coming back down to the ground!" Azur yelled to the Finneon.

"(Yippee!)" Beaut rose above the water. Opening her mouth, she formed a light blue ball of energy that she pushed below the water, creating a miniature wave that raced towards Deceit!

"(Crap!)" Deceit's eyes cursed as she was hit by the wave, which slammed her into the side of the pond-like arena, "(Guh!)" she coughed up water as she held onto the edge of the ring, "(Stupid water!)"

"Now Beaut, dry her off with Gust, then soak her again with Water Gun!" Azur commanded.

"(Hi!)" the Finneon popped out of the water in front of Deceit, then turned around and began flapping her butterfly wing-shaped tail fins, creating a wind that blasted Deceit out of the water.

"(Waah!)" the Mawile cried out as she was blown away, "(Damn it a- OH CRAP!)" her eyes widened as Beaut turned around again and fired a shot of water right in her face!

"(Ugh!)" she groaned as she hit the ground outside of the arena. Deceit tried to get up, but couldn't.

"Looks like Deceit is unable to battle!" Río announced.

"Darn it," Jackie gestured to Runt to go get her, "Don't worry, you did great!" Jackie called over as Runt carried her back.

"(I can't believe I lost to that little… GRR!)" Deceit growled in frustration as Runt lied her down next to Sonja behind Jackie and Hazel.

"(It's okay. You gave it your all.)" Runt soothed her, causing her to smile. He turned to Jackie. "(Hey, Jackie, who's up next?)"

Jackie grinned and gestured to Mary, "It's your turn, Mary!"

The Mareep got up and smirked, "(Finally, my time to shine!)" she ran forward and leapt onto a lily pad, "(Ready for orders!)"

"Hey, Jackie!" Hazel called over, "Little help?" she pointed to her Murkrow, who was still trying, and mostly failing, to avoid Dewy's Ice Shard assault.

"Okay! You heard her Mary!" Jackie called out, "Try and follow that Seel and hit her with Thunder Shock!"

"(Right!)" Mary nodded as she followed the Seel with her eyes.

"(Hiya!)" the Seel rose above the water and pelted Crone with one last Ice Shard, finally knocking the Murkrow unconscious.

"(Oh nooo…)" the Murkrow's eyes drooped as she fell down to earth.

"You did good, RETURN!" Hazel held out Crone's Poké Ball and recalled her. Putting it away, she pulled out another Poké Ball and tossed it into the air, "It's up to you, Phantasma!"

The ball split open, releasing a red arc of energy that materialized into the form of a dark bluish-green ghost that consisted of a lower half resembling a short, ruffled dress with several round, red gems around the neck, and a head that had long, flowing 'hair' with pale violet tips and large eyes with yellow sclera and red irises, "(I'm ready!)"

"(Yay!)" Dewy happily clapped her flippers together, "(I took her dow-OW-OW-OW-OW-OOOOOOWWWWW!)" the Seel cried out as she was repeatedly shocked by Mary…


	33. VS - Azul Port Gym Leader! Part 2

_**Chapter Thirty-Three:**_

_**VS - Azul Port Gym Leader: Azur! Part 2**_

* * *

**Morning (8:24 A.M.), Azul Port Pokémon Gym**

"(Someone mind helping?!)" Mary called up to the Misdreavus as she continued to zap the Seel with Thunder Shock.

"Phantasma, hit the Seel with Astonish!" Hazel ordered.

The Misdreavus nodded, and charged towards the now paralyzed Dewy while screaming like a banshee, "(BAKKKEEA ABDABHAJJ ABHSKASH!)"

"(GYAAAA!)" Dewy screamed in astonishment before Phantasma tackled her headfirst, knocking her out. "(Ugh…)" the Seel floated in the water, unconscious.

"You did great, Dewy," Azur bowed his head in gratitude as he recalled her. He looked up at them, his eyes gleaming, "Now, it's time for _him_!" he took out a regular Poké Ball, "This is my best friend, my very first Pokémon," he tossed the Poké Ball into the air, where it released its occupant in a red arc of energy, "Swim freely, Mr. Moseby!"

The red energy disappeared, revealing a Simipour. The aquatic simian was primarily blue with broad ears, oval eyes that were constantly kept shut, and a small black nose. Several dreadlock-like tufts of fur with curled ends came down his head. He had a white marking on his chest in the appearance of a ruff. His face, five-fingered hands, arms, legs, and three-toed feet were all cream-colored. So was his tail, which was tipped with a blue plume that resembled a water spout.

The Simipour was wiping at his face with a pocket handkerchief, which he gently stashed away into his fur, "(Hello, children! My name is Mr. Moseby.)"

The Finneon, Beaut, swam over to him, "(Good to see you! Ready to fight?)"

Mr. Moseby nodded as he turned to Phantasma and Mary, "(Of course. Let's do this!)"

"Mr. Moseby! Hit'em with Hydro Pump!" Azur ordered.

"(Aye, aye!)" the Simipour grabbed his tail and angled the water spout-like plume at them.

Jackie's eyes widened, and he screamed, "DOOOOOOOODGE!"

"Get out of there!" Hazel yelled.

"(You don't need to tell me twice!)" Mary frantically jumped onto another lily pad while Phantasma levitated into the air, just in time to avoid the high pressure surge of water that blasted the former lily pad several meters away. "(Dayum!)"

Hazel gulped, "That's a powerful attack,"

Azur nodded, "One of the most powerful Water-type moves," he turned to the Finneon, "Beaut, use Scald on the Misdreavus! Mr. Moseby, follow the Mareep and try to hit her with your own Scald!"

"(Aye, aye!)" they nodded and went for their targets.

"(Come back here!)" Mr. Moseby yelled at Mary as he chased her, firing off various blasts of hot water.

"(This'll sting!)" Beaut jumped out of the water toward Phantasma and blasted her with boiling hot water, earning a shriek of agony from her target.

"Phantasma!" Hazel gasped in dismay at her burning Misdreavus, "We need to end this quickly! Before she can escape back to the water, use Confuse Ray, then Psywave!"

"(R-Right!)" nodding through the burns, Phantasma shot a sinister ray at Beaut, confusing the fish long enough for her to fire an odd and hot energy wave of such great intensity that it sent the poor fish skipping across the water like a rock.

"(Gyeh!)" the Finneon gasped as her skipping was stopped by a collision with the edge of the arena, "(Darn, I'm out…)" the Finneon sunk below the waves, forcing her trainer to recall her.

"Well played, Beaut," Azur sighed, "Mr. Moseby, try and finish off that Mareep! Use Hydro Pump!"

"Phantasma, try and stop him with Astonish!" Hazel ordered.

As the Simipour took aim with his tail plume, the Misdreavus rushed him while screaming like a banshee, "AKEEBADA DOBYDADAA!"

"(GWAH!)" Mr. Moseby turned around, startled by the sudden noise, and fired off his Hydro Pump, right in Phantasma's face!

"(GYAAAAAAHH!)" the Misdreavus screamed as the water blasted her into the Gym wall!

"PHANTASMA!" Hazel cried out, but received no response. Wiping away a tear, she recalled her fainted ghost. She turned to Jackie and nodded, "It's up to you,"

He nodded, and turned to Mary, "Quick, while he's still calming down, use Thunder Shock!"

Mr. Moseby took several deep breaths as he held a hand to his chest, "(Nearly gave me a heart atta- GAAAAAAH!)" he screamed as a jolt of electricity blasted him in the back, causing him to fall face-first into the water.

"(Yay!)" Mary cheered and did a little dance, "(I did it! I did it, I did it! GYAAAAHH!)" she shrieked as she was soaked in scalding hot water.

Mr. Moseby pulled himself onto the lily pad, glaring at the Mareep, "(Now I'm mad.)"

"Good work, Mr. Moseby!" Azur congratulated him, "Now end this! Use Hydro Pump!"

The Simipour smiled as he took aim with his tail plume, "(Yes, sir!)"

"Mary!" Jackie called out, "Hurry! Dodge, then zap him with Thunder Wave!"

"(Right!)" Mary moved out of the way as the blast of water came surging past, then shot Mr. Moseby with a weak electric shock.

"(Gah!)" the Simipour groaned as electricity arced over his form, "(Why can't I move?!)"

"NOW!" Jackie roared, "Charge, then finish him off with Thunder Shock!"

"(YES!)" Mary growled as she was surrounded by sparks, "(FOOOR VICTORY!)" she tackled the Simipour, who cried out in shock at her static touch, and then let loose with a powerful jolt of electricity that blew him into the water.

This time, he didn't come back up.

Río raised the green flag and lowered the red one, "Mr. Moseby is unable to battle! The victory goes to Hazel and Jackie!"

Azur sighed as he recalled his partner, "You gave it your all,"

"That was awesome, Mary!" Jackie called out to her.

Deceit forced a grin as Sonja began cheering, "(Not bad…)"

Runt smiled, "(Excellent work!)"

She blushed at their praise, "(W-Why thank you! I-It wasn't easy but I-I- huh?)" she looked down, "(What the?!)" her form was glowing.

"U-Uh uh!" Jackie spluttered, "She's evolving!"

It was true!

The white light covering her form began growing and changing!

When it was done, the light disappeared, revealing her new form!

Her wool no longer covered her whole body, now it only covered her torso and the back and top of her head, where it formed two curled-up horns. Her blue and yellow skin, while keeping the black stripes on her tail and cone-like ears, was now entirely pink. The orange orb on her tail had turned blue. The most obvious change, however, was that she now stood on two legs instead of four.

She examined herself, "(I-I evolved?! I-I l-look… AMAZING!)"


	34. Sail for East Okam!

_**Chapter Thirty-Four:**_

_**Sail for East Okam!**_

* * *

**Morning (8:39 A.M.), Azul Port Pokémon Gym**

"You did well," Azur walked forward and held out a hand to each of them, "Since you defeated me, you've earned the Agua Badge,"

Jackie and Hazel took the badges and examined them. The Agua Badge itself was shaped like a blue water spout.

"YEAH!" Jackie lifted the badge into the air, "We got the Agua Badge!"

Sonja perched on his head and spread her wings triumphantly, "(That we did!)"

Mary let electricity crackle around her new form as she bleated, "(Victory!)"

Runt smirked as he flexed his muscles, earning nosebleeds from Mary and Deceit, "(We came, we saw, we conquered.)"

Deceit raised her fist into the air, "(SCORE!)"

Río walked over and handed them CD-like objects, "You also get the TM for Scald,"

"Thanks!" Jackie and Hazel thanked him as they accepted the TMs.

Hero got up and stretched from the railings, "Congratulations," he walked over to them, "So, I assume we're heading for East Okam next,"

They nodded, "Yep!"

Hazel paused, "Wait, how do we get there?"

Jackie frowned, "I don't think we have enough money,"

Azur grinned, "Don't worry about it! You saved my life, so…" he produced three passes from his sleeve and handed them over, "Here, free passes to board the S.S. Viajero!"

"Gracias!" Hero took the tickets, "I'll hold onto these," he turned to Azur, "So, when do we leave?"

Río smiled, "The ship leaves around noon. You should have plenty of time to pack for your trip,"

Hazel grinned, "That's perfect!"

**Morning (10:26 A.M.), Sea King Hotel Penthouse**

"WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Jackie cheered as he drowned another Pepesi.

"Hmhmhm," Hero chuckled while bobbing his head to the stereo.

"Hyahahahahahahahahaha!" Hazel was laughing her head off at the sight of Inferna breakdancing, or rather, Sonja trying, and failing, to imitate her.

They had already packed their bags with provisions (be they their own, or from the fridge), and were partying for their last day on West Okam.

"(I don't think you have the body for this.)" Inferna noted as Sonja continued failing to spin on her head.

The Noibat groaned in disappointment, "(Maybe you're right.)"

"(Amazing…)" Runt watched reruns of Pokémon League tournaments.

Mary and Deceit watched beside him, rather bored, but entertained nonetheless.

**Noon (12:00 P.M.), Azul Port**

Luggage in hand, they boarded the ship. "Goodbye! See ya!" they called out to their friends, waving as the ship set sail.

Azur sighed, "I'll miss those kids,"

"And Hero," Río added.

Azur turned to him, "I thought he fell under 'those kids'?"

Río considered this, and nodded, "Yeah, you're right," he smiled, "Their in good hands,"

"HEY!"

They turned around to find a shaved blonde boy running towards them.

"Who are you?" Azur asked the boy as he stopped in front of them.

"(Hello!)" behind the boy, a four-legged dog-like creature came padding up.

The Pokémon, a Mightyena, had a body that was covered in both grey and black fur, with black lower legs, clawed feet, and tail. Covering his back was a mantle of shaggy, black fur. Above and behind his red nose were dark, triangular streaks that went below his eyes, which had yellow sclera and red irises.

"Heh… my name… heh… is… Inu Endo…" the orange sweater vest-wearing boy introduced himself while panting in exhaustion.

"Innuendo?" they asked.

He shook his head furiously, "NO! It's Inu Endo! That's my name!" he gestured to the Mightyena, "And this is my faithful partner, Doggystyle!"

They blinked in astonishment, "What?"

The Mightyena gave them a sharp-toothed grin, "(That's me!)"

Inu Endo looked behind them, squinting his eyes at the sailing ship, "Hey! Is that Jackie… and Hero?!" he waved at the vanishing ship, "Bye Jackie! Bye Hero!" he turned back to the two men, "So, I assume you're the Gym Leader?"

Río nodded, "Yes, that's me. My name is Río," he gestured to Azur, "This is my dad, Azur, the president of Azur Inc."

"Glad to meet you," Azur shook hands with Inu.

Inu nodded, "You too!" He turned back to Río, "So, can we battle for the badge?"

Río shrugged, "Sure, why not?" he led the boy to his gym, "Hey, Dad, do you want to watch us?"

Azur smiled and nodded, "Of course!" he ran after them…

**Afternoon (12:44 P.M.), S.S. Viajero**

"GERANOMOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Jackie cannonballed into the pool, "WHOOOOO!" he rose back above the water, "Who can beat that?"

"KALABUNGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

"Huh?" Jackie looked up, and his eyes widened in terror, "OH CRAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-"

Hero crashed down.

The explosion of water could be seen from space.

"Hahahahahahahahahahaha!" Hero laughed as he rested against the pool's edge, "Now this is fun!" he turned to Inferna, "Hey, wanna swim?"

She was dangling her feet in the water, "(Nah, I'm not into the whole water thing, being a Fire-type and all.)"

"Suit yourself," Hero slid below water, swimming like a Sharpedo.

Hazel stayed in her room. After all, she didn't have any sunblock to protect her very pale skin from the sun.

"Gaah!" Jackie burst from the water. He shot Hero a glare, "What the hell, Hero?!"

Hero rose from the water a few feet away, "What?"

"You heard me!" Jackie yelled, but he was distracted by an object that floated by in front of him: his swimming trunks. "OH SH*T!"

Hero suppressed a giggle, "Kids these days, hilarious,"

"(Would you keep it down!)" Sonja yelled from her bench as she raised her tanning mirror.

Elsewhere…

"(These thing provide a very good workout.)" Runt noted as he continued running on the treadmill.

"(Whatever…)" Deceit shrugged as she ran on her own treadmill, "(Seriously though, Baby, can't you think of anything more… romantic?)"

"(What?!)" startled by her remark, Runt slipped, causing him to go flying off the treadmill and into a punching bag, "(GAAH!)"

"(RUNT!)" Mary ran to his side and helped him up, shooting a glare at Deceit, "(Look what you did!)"

Deceit swallowed nervously and went to help him up as well, "(I-I'm sorry, Baby.)"

Runt groaned, "(Please, just let me train in peace!)"

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**And thus ends the first half of our story… or is it third? Or maybe even fourth?**

**I don't know. What I do know though, is that this is all that I have planned and written out. **

**School's starting up again on Monday, so updates will probably slow down. I'll also need time to write out a summary of what I want to happen next, like I did with everything that's happened in-story so far.**

**What comes next? Who knows, possibly filler. I don't know.**

**Anyway, thanks for your support.**

**XOXO, RGGod.**


	35. Visions and Goals

_**Chapter Thirty-Five:**_

_**Visions and Goals**_

* * *

**Afternoon (1:47 P.M.), Unknown**

"Uhhh…" he woke up, a hand held to his head, "Huh?"

In front of him was a man in a white robe, "Greetings, Galaxy Lord Cigar. How was your treatment?"

"Oh right," the Galaxy Lord nodded.

He had received his treatments for his ailing future sight as soon as he arrived with the Thunder God.

He looked around, "Where's my robe?"

The white-robed doctor brought it to him, "Here it is, Cigar,"

After getting back into his robe, he stretched his arms, "Did I miss anything?"

"Yes," the doctor nodded, "Milky Way failed at her objective and was punished accordingly by her own Pokémon," he smiled, "On the bright side, the Grandmaster was able to personally procure the Master Ball, so, aside from a hundred or so troops captured by the enemy, we were still able to achieve victory,"

"Hmm? That so?" Cigar shrugged. He no longer felt interested in the goings on after his time with Team Universal.

The doctor nodded again, "Also, Grandmaster Andromeda has started a meeting between the Galaxy Lords and himself. They've been waiting for you,"

He moved towards the door, "Yeah, yeah, guh…" he stopped, a prophetic vision coming to him.

And then he saw…

**Afternoon (2:04 P.M.), The Grandmaster's Room**

Cigar stepped into the room.

It was entirely black, speckled throughout by faintly glowing lights to represent the stars. Levitating in the air were strange 'chairs' that took the appearances of the planets in our solar system, while another 'chair' at the center of the room took the shape of the sun. Each object had one-fourth of its form carved out for sitting in.

"What took you so long?" Galaxy Lord Circinus glared down at him from his seat on 'Mars'.

"Yeah," Milky Way, holding a hand to her heavily bruised face, snarled from her seat on 'Venus'.

_SILENCE! _Andromeda mentally boomed from its seat on the 'sun'. _It is good to see you, Cigar. _The Grandmaster telekinetically lifted him into the air and sat him on the 'Earth'. _Now that you are all gathered, I have some important information that must be discussed, as well as an important announcement that I must make._

The Galaxy Lords nodded, and it continued. _Firstly, as you may know, I now have the Master Ball in my position, which I will use to finally capture you-know-who. To do this, I will have to leave you here while I journey through the stars in search of our target. Until I return, Circinus will be in charge; that is my announcement._

"WHAT?!" Milky Way roared in anger while Circinus grinned maliciously. Cigar would have said something too if he didn't have such important things to discuss. "WHY HIM?!"

Andromeda turned to glare at her through its mask. _Because so far, he is the only one who hasn't failed in the slightest in his duties. Both you and Cigar have cost us troops, who we have yet to recover or even find the location of. Who knows what secrets of ours could have been leaked because of this. ALL BECAUSE OF THAT DAMNED HERO!_

The Grandmaster took several deep breaths to steady itself, while the Galaxy Lords, save Cigar, watched in astonishment. They had no idea why, but the Grandmaster always got worked up whenever _he _was brought up. Of course, they knew who _he _was, but not _his _connection to Andromeda.

_Now, where were we? _The Grandmaster had recovered enough to continue. _Ah, yes. Anyway, Circinus, I expect you to run things efficiently in my stead, but I will not be gone for long, so you need not worry. _

They felt its gaze sweep over them. _I expect you all to take care of everything in my absence. As you know, Doctor Sirius is currently using all of his resources to capture our… escapee. I want you to aide him however possible. Her existence must not become public knowledge! Curse that Virgo and his failure! All I ask is that he bring me Victini, but no, he fails because someone else was there already, and brings back something else. Then that something escapes into Okam. _Andromeda sighed. _Oh well. Just make sure that it's taken care of. Remember our goal._

All three Galaxy Lords nodded, and yelled, "Psychic supremacy!"

Andromeda nodded. _Yes, the conquest of this world, nay, this universe, by those truly superior and fit to rule: we psychics. All else shall bend to our all-consuming will. Never forget that._

The Grandmaster's gaze swept over them once more. _I will leave before nightfall, afterwards, Circinus is in charge until I return. That is all, you are dismissed._

"Grandmaster," Cigar spoke up, "May I have a word with you?" he glanced at his fellow Galaxy Lords, "In private?"

The Grandmaster shrugged. _Why not? Circinus, Milky Way, you are dismissed. Cigar, you may remain, but make it quick. I need to leave soon._

His fellow Galaxy Lords shot him odd looks, but said nothing as they departed.

Once the Grandmaster was sure that they were gone, it began. _So, what is it you wish to speak of?_

Cigar swallowed nervously. He had to word this just right, lest they be the last words he ever said, "I've had a vision of things to come. And I know,"

The Grandmaster tilted its head inquisitively, with only the slightest hint of malice in its tone. _Know what?_

He gulped, "Everything. I've seen it all, from your true goals," he placed a hand on his chest, "To other things,"

The Grandmaster picked up on this immediately, "Y-You mean?"

He nodded sadly, "Yes, I've foreseen it,"

"Very well," the Grandmaster nodded back, "What have you seen? Tell me everything,"

He did, telling Andromeda all about what he had foreseen.

"Hmm?" the Grandmaster gazed at him. If what he said was true, then _he _would reveal everything just as victory was in their grasp, "Do you have any idea when this is to happen?"

He shook his head, "No, Grandmaster. I only know that it _will _happen."

"I see…" the Grandmaster frowned. The illusionary mask covering its face disappeared, revealing…


	36. Sharing

_**Chapter Thirty-Six:**_

_**Sharing**_

* * *

**Morning (10:12 A.M.), S.S. Viajero Main Deck**

"Aah~!" Hazel sighed as she rested back in the lounge chair, her very pale skin protected by a layer of sun block graciously supplied by a member of the staff, "This is wonderful!"

It was their third day on the ship, and they were due to arrive in Cerceta Port by tomorrow morning.

Everything was going great.

"(It's your fault!)"

Arceus dammit! I just had to jinx it!

Mary glared at Deceit, her (fake) accent flaring up in anger, "(What're ya sayin', sugah?)"

The large Mawile crossed her arms, "(You heard me! If it wasn't for you, we wouldn't have been kicked out of the gym!)"

"(Hah!)" the Flaaffy snorted, "(Ah did no such thing. You were the one who threatened the exercise guys!)" she moaned in despair, "(And now mah poor Runt's all by his lonesome!)"

Deceit's eyes flashed with anger, "(He. Is. Mine!)" her eyes narrowed, "(And, I'll fight you for him.)" she grinned maliciously, "(That is, if you're not afraid of the challenge, toots.)"

Mary smirked, "(Bring it!)"

Hazel gulped, "I don't like the looks of this…"

Sonja raised her tanning mirror, "(Is this what love does to people? It's not nearly as pleasant as how they show it on TV.)"

"Oh dear," Hazel swallowed nervously as she watched the two Pokémon begin their battle, "Where are Jackie and Hero when you need them?"

**Morning (11:22 A.M.), VIP Quarters**

"Let go!" Jackie growled as he and Hero rolled around on the floor.

"Hah!" Hero pulled away from him, remote in hand, "Now, back to business!" he changed the channel, and sighed, "Aah, nothing like an excellent giant monster movie,"

"Gah!" Jackie tackled him to the ground, stealing the remote, "Now for some action!" he changed the channel, "Now this is what I'm talking a~bout! Ain't nothing better than the international bikini contest!"

Hero swiped the remote away and returned the channel to the original station, "I'm not missing this! This is a marathon of the Big Monster series!" he squealed like a little girl as the title appeared, "WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! It's _The Titanic Tyranitar_!"

Jackie swindled the remote away, "Back to the bikinis!" he changed the channels, "I heard a rumor that Elesa from Unova would be competing!" his nose started bleeding, "That would be AWESOME!"

"So!" Hero retrieved the remote and returned clicked the last button, switching the channel back to his monster movies, "What's so good about Elesa?! Have you seen Sabrina in the Mystery Doors of the Magical Lands series?" a drop of blood fell from his nose, "Now that is sexy!"

"Who cares?!" Jackie tackled him to the ground, where they rolled around, fighting for the remote control, "I want to watch hot girls in skimpy bikinis!"

Hero struggled against him, "Yeah, well I want to watch men in rubber suits beating the crud out of each other!"

**Afternoon (2:11 P.M.), S.S. Viajero Main Deck**

The two females clashed on the battle arena while a crowd of spectators watched from the sidelines, making sure not to stray too close to the action.

Deceit launched herself at Mary, seeking to tackle her with her steel-hard head, "(I'm not gonna lose to some domesticated country girl!)"

"(Domesticated?!)" Mary's eyes flashed with anger as she dodged to the side of Deceit's attack, "(I'll show you domesticated!)" she launched a jolt of electricity at the Mawile, shocking her.

"(GAH!)" Deceit gasped as the electricity arced over her form. Turning to Mary, she ran forwards, grabbing the Flaaffy in her steel jaw-like horns, "(Damned brat!)" she spun around and released Mary, causing her to go flying into the ship's railing from the momentum.

"(Ugh!)" grunting in pain, Mary got back on her feet, her white wool rather ruffled, "(Dammit!)" she glared at the Mawile, "(Wild lunatic!)"

Deceit spat to the side, "(Bitch!)"

"(GRAAH!)" growling with rage, Mary shot a bolt of electricity towards her.

"(Hmph!)" Deceit dodged away from the bolt, "(That all ya go-)" she was interrupted by a second jolt of electricity, "(GRAA!)" seething with rage, she ran over to Mary, who raced forward to meet her, "(I will win!)" she lunged at Mary with her steel-hard head.

"(Take this!)" Mary shot another jolt of electricity at the large Mawile.

"(GRAAA!)" Deceit forced her way through the electricity and tackled Mary with her head, knocking her back several feet!

"(Guh!)" Mary coughed up a little blood from the blow, "(Not bad… but Ah'm still gonna kick your ass!)"

Deceit grinned as she panted in exhaustion, "(You too…)"

"ENOUGH!" Hazel walked in between them; her arms crossed disapprovingly, "This has gone on long enough!"

Mary and Deceit blinked in surprise, "(Huh?)"

The young witch glared at them, and they cowered under her gaze like a pair of naughty children, "You two have been fighting ever since we got on this boat! Well, I'm sick of it! You two need to stop!"

"(But!)" Deceit began, but was silenced by another glare from Hazel.

"No!" Hazel yelled, not really understanding anything the Pokémon could say, "You two are going back to the quarters, where you will sit in opposite corners while you think about what you've done!" as their heads hung low in shame, she couldn't help but smirk at their submission to her authority, "Now, before you go, I want you two to apologize to each other,"

Swallowing their pride, the two love rivals turned to each other, "(S-Sorry…)" they bowed their heads, not really meaning it.

"Good," Hazel nodded, "Now go on back to the quarters. I want no more trouble from you girls during our cruise. So stay out of trouble. But if you don't, well…" she grinned maliciously, "…Jackie and I could always have a little chat,"

Sighing in submission, the two rivals walked towards the quarters, passing by the tanning Noibat, Sonja.

Grumbling various curses, Deceit shot Mary a glare, "(Damned brat, Runt's mine.)"

Mary returned the glare, "(I won't let you steal him from me.)"

Fed up with their antics, Sonja lowered her tanning mirror, "(Why don't you just share him?!)"

They stared at her incredulously, "(W-WHAT?!)"


	37. Welcome to East Okam!

_**Chapter Thirty-Seven:**_

_**Welcome to East Okam!**_

* * *

**Morning (8:23 A.M), Cerceta Port**

"WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Jackie whooped aloud, his arms spread wide in the air as he gazed at the port city, "Cerceta Port, we have arrived!"

Hazel sweatdropped, "You're sure hyper,"

Jackie turned to her and smiled, "Of course! I only need five more badges, and I'm here to get'em!"

"Hmhmhm," Hero chuckled, "Getting a little impatient, aren't we?"

"Duh!" Jackie crossed his arms, "So, where do we head to next?" he took out the map and examined it.

There were three routes they could take: northeast to Rojo Town, east to the Pardo Village mountain settlement, or south to Anaranjadoville.

Hero peeked over his shoulder, "I think it'd be best if we go to Pardo Village first, there's a lot to see there,"

Jackie pulled away from him, "Like what?"

Hero explained, "There's a Gym, a mountain to explore, Okam's TV broadcast station, and…" his face paled, "…Monster,"

Jackie blinked while Hazel recoiled in fright, "Who's Monster?"

Hero gulped, "A member of the Elite Four, and the most vicious one at that,"

Jackie grinned defiantly, "Really? I can't wait to meet this guy," he turned to Hazel, "So, where are you going?"

She sighed, "I think I'll head down to Anaranjadoville,"

"Oh," Jackie nodded, "That's your hometown, isn't it?"

She nodded, "Yeah,"

He smiled as he pulled out a Poké Ball, "Well then, how about we have a battle before we go our separate ways?"

She giggled as she took out a Poké Ball of her own, "Why not? How does a one on one battle sound?"

"Awesome!" Jackie threw the Poké Ball into the air, where it split open, releasing its occupant in an arc of red energy, "Go, go, Sonja!"

"(Awww right!)" the Noibat cheered as she was released.

"My turn!" Hazel threw her own Poké Ball, "It's up to you, Vixi!"

"(Greetings.)" the Braixen curtsied. The bipedal fox's fur was mostly yellow, with black legs, white arms, face, and neck, and a dark orange tail tip. A small mane of white fur covered her shoulders and chest. Long, wavy tufts of dark orange fur grew out of her ears, their color matching her eyes and small nose which tipped her pointy muzzle. The yellow, skirt-like fur above her legs swept out to the sides, its underside, like her thin legs, was black. A stick emerged from the top of her bushy yellow tail.

"Let's go!" Jackie threw his right arm to the side, "Sonja, use your new move!"

"(Yes!)" Sonja nodded as she used Dragon Breath, which Jackie had taught her through the TM he had received from Chase.

"Vixi, dodge and use Psybeam, then follow up with Ember!" Hazel ordered.

With a grin of delight, the Braixen evaded the blast of breath, "(My turn!)" she pulled the stick out of her tail and pointed it at Sonja.

"(Geh!)" Sonja shook her head as it was hit by a peculiar ray of psychic energy.

While the Noibat struggled, Vixi ran forward and jumped up at her, "(Take this!)" she spat a wad of flames, setting Sonja ablaze.

"(Aieeeeeeeeeeee!)" Sonja shrieked as she caught on fire.

"A battle between rivals, really takes me back to the good old days," Hero sighed in reminiscence. He looked around at his surroundings, gazing at the various large and towing buildings.

His eyes stopped on one in particular, "Hmm? Why am I getting this weird feeling?"

**Morning (8:43 A.M.), Route 7**

"Grr!" Milky Way growled in frustration as she trudged along the path beside Cigar. Behind them walked two robed scientists and a group of grunts, "I can't believe we got stuck with such a lowly job as this!"

"Hmph! Don't act so high and mighty," Cigar chided her, "We have an important mission to accomplish,"

"Yeah, yeah," Milky Way crossed her arms, "Why did Circinus order us to do this?"

"Simple," Cigar replied, "He was following the orders written down by Andromeda, which we are to follow while the Grandmaster is away,"

"Bah," the female Galaxy Lord kicked a stone away with her foot, "What's so important about the TV broadcast station in Pardo Village?"

"You will see," Cigar told her. "Besides, this should draw attention away from Gris Village to the north, leaving Doctor Sirius free to continue his operations in capturing you-know-who,"

She sniffed in disdain, "How hard is it to capture a semi-legendary? Seriously, she's doesn't even have the other members of her trio. Virgo found her alone, said that she's always been alone, and even captured her and brought her here! Then she gets away, and we have no way of capturing her. How the heck did Virgo capture her in first place?!"

Cigar frowned at her fuming, "You are a bitch,"

She looked over to him, one of the giant, thick hair spikes overshadowing her left eye, "Yeah, I am. Got a problem with that, you fat old bastard?"

"Too many to list," Cigar replied, his expression unchanging as he pulled out a cigar and a lighter.

**Morning (8:50 A.M.), Cerceta Port**

"Vixi, end it with Psybeam!" Hazel called out.

"(It's over for you!)" Vixi her drew her stick and pointed it at the still-burning Sonja.

"(GAH!)" the Noibat, drained from the burns and confusion, collapsed as the peculiar ray struck her mind, "(D-Darn…it…)"

"Looks like Sonja's down for the count!" Hero announced, "The victory goes to Hazel and Vixi!"

"You did good, Sonja," Jackie sighed as he recalled her, "Looks like you won," Jackie congratulated her as he coughed up 700 pokédollars as victory money.

"It's all thanks to Vixi here," Hazel grinned as she patted the Braixen's back.

"(Oh, it was nothing.)" Vixi answered sheepishly to her praise.

"Well, this is it," Jackie sighed again, "Here's where we go our separate ways,"

Hazel pulled him into a little hug, "I'm sure we'll meet again, maybe then we could have another battle,"

Jackie blushed as he returned the embrace, "Sure, I can't wait!"

Hero frowned, "No hugs for me?"

She pulled away, "Goodbye, guys!" she waved to them as she ran south, Vixi following behind her, "See you later!"

"You too!" Jackie yelled as she disappeared from view. He held up Sonja's Poké Ball, "First things first, let's get you healed up, then we'll move on to Pardo Village!"

"That we will," Hero nodded as they headed for the Pokémon Center. He cast one last glance back to the building that had caught his eye earlier. _I'm certain of it…_


	38. Samus

_**Chapter Thirty-Eight:**_

_**Samus**_

* * *

**Morning (9:55 A.M.), Route 7**

Having left Cerceta Port, Jackie and Hero made their way across the rugged and rocky landscape of Route 7. The native Pokémon hadn't given them too much trouble, and those that did were quickly dispatched by Jackie's Pokémon.

Soon enough, they came upon a set of stairs carved into the mountain.

Jackie looked up and smiled, "Looks like we're here,"

"Yep," Hero nodded, "Pardo Village is just up there," he grabbed Jackie's hand and ran up the stairs, pulling Jackie along with him, "Let's go!"

"Okay!" Jackie struggled to stay up, "I can walk by myself!"

"I know," Hero let go of his hand as they stepped off of the stairs.

"Whew!" Jackie sighed, "So this is Pardo Village, eh?" he looked around; there wasn't much to the village, just a few small houses here and there, but what really caught his eye was the Gym, "There it is!" he ran over, ready to barge in through the doors.

He ended up crashing into them.

"Ow!" he rubbed his sore head as he got back up, "Huh?" there was a note on the door, "Gone spelunking?" his shoulders drooped, "Oh come on!"

"Hmm?" Hero walked up to him, "Looks like Kliff's out,"

"Dammit," Jackie cursed. He looked around, "What else can we do?"

"Weeeeeell," Hero began, "We could look around the mountain,"

"Fine," he sighed as he got up, "Maybe we could go see Monster afterwards,"

"Arceus forbid," Hero's face paled as he led the way to a cave at the mountains front, "Here's where we can go through the mountain,"

Jackie blinked, "Shouldn't we just climb it?"

Hero shot him a look, "Do you think you can climb a mountain?"

He frowned as they walked through the cave entrance, "Good point,"

**Morning (10:22 A.M.), Pardo Mountain**

The Pokémon inhabiting the cave proved to be mainly Steel- or Rock-types. Those encountered consisted of Bronzor, Beldum, Roggenrola, Boldore, Nosepass, and Ferroseed.

It did not take long before they found a mass trail of footprints, "Think the Gym Leader is with these guys?" Jackie asked Hero as they followed the trail.

"No," Hero shook his head as he knelt down to examine the footprints, "Kliff usually travels alone, and these footprints indicate that whoever passed by here came with a group of at least dozen people," his eyes narrowed, "Something isn't right."

Jackie blinked, "What do you mean?"

Hero stood up and dusted himself off, "You don't usually see groups that big going around the mountain. It looks like a miniature army marched through here,"

"MOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!"

"Huh?" they looked up to see two people, one a robed man and the other a women in her under garments, run by.

Jackie blinked in surprise, his nose bleeding at the sight of the half-naked woman, "The heck was that about?"

"GET BACK HERE!" a voice boomed.

"What the?" Jackie blinked again as Hero hid behind his back, "What's wrong?"

"I-It's…" Hero stammered as a massive beast lumbered out of the shadows in front of them.

The dinosaurian beast stood on two thick yet short legs, its body covered in a green, armor-like hide. There were two black, triangular holes on both sides of its chest, knees, and the center of its back. Its jaws had two pairs of sharp fangs and its hands and feet had three claws each. A ring of spikes surrounded the tip of its tail. From the back of its head, neck and shoulders a multitude of spikes of various sizes emerged.

Short story short, it was a Tyranitar, a particularly large one at that.

It glared down at them.

"Mommy!" Jackie whimpered under the beast's gaze. It took every ounce of strength he had not to lose control of his bowels then and there.

"Huh? Is that?" a second figure stepped out of the darkness, wearing the signature robe of Team Universal; a spiral galaxy-shaped marking with a golden 'U' holding a purple eye emblazoned at its center on the chest area.

While Jackie cowered in fear, Hero reluctantly stepped out from behind him. He gulped as he prepared for what was to come, "Hello… Monster,"

"Hero?!" Monster rushed forward, tackling Hero into the wall with a hug Jackie could tell broke a few ribs, "It's so good to see ya!"

"Y-Yeah! Y-You too!" Hero gasped in pain as Monster backed away, "What brings you here?"

While Jackie stared in astonishment, Monster explained, "I heard from Kliff that there was some trouble afoot at the TV broadcast station, so I rushed over as soon as possible,"

"Hmm?" Jackie nodded, "That must be why he was out in the mountain," he blinked, "But why are you dressed up like Team Universal?"

Monster shrugged, "I thought I might try and blend in, so I stole the robe from some broad,"

"That so?" Jackie swallowed nervously.

"Yeah, but those two are probably off to tell their leaders, so I guess I don't need this anymore," Monster took off the robe, revealing…

Jackie's jaw dropped to the floor, "THE F*CK?! Monster is a girl?!"

And a very pretty girl at that. Her long, silky brown hair was neatly groomed and combed, flowing freely from her head to her back, while several bangs covered her forehead. Her eyes were a lovely hazel, her features quite smooth in contrast to her sharp nose. She wore a long, yellow and white-striped sundress that went down to her knees. Judging by her appearance, she could be no more than thirteen, a year younger than Jackie.

Holding a hand to her mouth, she let out a cute giggle, "Of course I'm a girl, silly," she looked up, her eyes narrowed with a murderous glint, "Did you think I was a guy?"

Jackie straightened up and gulped, "N-No sir, er, I mean, uh, madam!"

She smiled sweetly and patted him on the head, the force slamming him headfirst into the ground, "That's good to hear!"

Hero sighed as he nursed his broken ribs, "Yeah, you guys wanna go help those poor people at the TV broadcast station and beat up Team Universal?"

Monster bared her dainty yet super-powered fists, "F*ck yeah! Let's murder those bastards!" she turned to her Tyranitar, a slasher smile on her face, "You ready, Sasha?"

Sasha nodded with a smile that could actually be called cute, "(Of course, I'd love to, dear!)"

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Okay, who here expected that Monster was a (little) girl?**

**Oh well. Now that school's back in session, I will probably update only on the weekends. Take care!**

**-RGGod, out!**


	39. Equality

_**Chapter Thirty-Nine:**_

_**Equality**_

* * *

**Morning (10:38 A.M.), Pardo Mountain**

With Monster as their guide, Jackie and Hero made their way through Pardo Mountain. They ran into Universals every now and again, but the young girl proved to be a very great help, easily defeating even the strongest of psychics with her Tyranitar, Sasha.

"Are we almost there yet?" Hero asked her.

"Yeah, my feet are killing me," Jackie complained.

"It's just up ahead!" Monster called back as she ran to the cave exit.

"You heard her!" Hero rushed after her.

"Hey! Wait up!" Jackie called after them as he ran.

**Morning (10:39 A.M.), Okam TV Broadcast Station**

"Aah!" Jackie gasped as he stepped out into the light.

In front of them was the TV broadcast station, a medium sized white building with a brown roof, surrounded by various types of transmitters and radio towers. (Sorry if this isn't that accurate, I know nothing about broadcasting, numbers are my specialty:)

In front of the broadcasting station's double doors were two Universal grunts, shivering from the cold mountain air.

Hero glanced at Jackie, his eyes narrowed, "The usual plan?"

Jackie nodded while Monster gave a bemused grin, "Sure!"

Hero smirked. With what could be called super human speed, he seemed to teleport over to the guards, startling them.

"GAH!" the male guard, Al Anz, backed away in shock, "The fug did you come from?!"

Hero grinned, "I came from your darkest nightmares to kick your ass," the guard could not reply before Hero punched his lights out. He turned to the female robed guard, "Your turn!"

She backed away, "You wouldn't hit a woman, right?"

He blinked at her, then narrowed his eyes in disgust, "I just punched a man, of course I'd hit a woman! If I didn't, then I'd be insinuating that they were weaker and inferior to men! Well, I, for one, believe in equality for all, regardless of gender!" he punched her lights out.

"Come on guys, let's go!" he motioned to them, and they followed him into the building.

"Wow," Jackie was surprised by the interior, which consisted of black and white-checkered flooring tiles and flower patterned wallpapers. (Sorry, I know nothing of interior design/fashion either.)

"Okay," Hero nodded and took of down one of the halls, "You know the drill!"

"Yeah!" Jackie called after him as he headed in the opposite direction, Monster following him, "Let's take out who's in charge!"

"F*ck yeah!" Monster cursed/cheered. She blinked, "By the way, what's with those headphones?"

"Oh, this?" he held a hand to the Whisperer in his spiky green hair, "It's called the Whisperer, it lets me telekinetically talk to Pokémon,"

"Sh*t!" Monster swore, "The f*ck did you get a device like that?"

"President Azur of Azur Inc. gave it to me," Jackie answered, slightly annoyed by his partner's gratuitous swearing.

She blinked at him, "And he let you keep it?"

Jackie blinked back, "Wow, he did! Maybe he just forgot about it?"

She shrugged as they came upon a set of doors, "Let's see what's next!" she pushed open the doors, and gawked at the sight that greeted them.

In the middle of the room was an army of Universal grunts, Poké Balls at the ready. Behind them was a single push open door.

"ZERRRG RUUUUUSH!" one grunt charged forward, followed by the rest of the army.

Monster sighed, "Well, only one thing to do now,"

"Yeah!" Jackie nodded and reached for a Poké Ball, only to be stopped when Monster lifted him into the air, "What the?! HEY! LET ME DOWN!" he struggled in her grip.

The little girl shook her head, "Sorry, but I'll hold'em off, you go see what's beyond that door!" she took aim at the push open door, and threw him at it, "SEE YA!"

"GYAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!" Jackie screamed as he went sailing through the air over the heads of the grunts, who looked up in surprise, "OOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHH CRAAAAAAAAAAAAPP!" he slammed into the push open door, causing it to swing open and him to tumble through it.

"The fug?" one of grunts blinked in bewilderment.

"Hey fellas~!" Monster cooed, and they turned to face her. She held out a Poké Ball, "Let's tussle!"

**Morning (10:40 A.M.), Master Control Room**

Galaxy Lord Cigar sang out as he juggled his Poké Balls.

"Oh I got moves,  
an' I got tricks,  
Been doin' this sh*t  
since I was six!"

Milky Way grinded her teeth together in irritation, "WOULD YOU STOP F*CKING SINGING! YOU'RE DRIVING ME CRAZY!"

Cigar stopped singing and juggling, "Weren't you crazy to begin with?"

She glared at him, her sapphire eyes bloodshot, "You do know that you're just pushing me more and more over the deep end?"

Cigar smiled and nodded, "That I am, ya bitch,"

Her eyes blazing with fury, she gritted her teeth, making a mental note to get an axe later.

Cigar sighed as he turned to the two scientists who were at the computers, "How're things comin' along?"

The first scientist didn't look away from the computer as he typed away, "It's running rather smoothly, we just need a couple more minutes,"

Galaxy Lord Milky Way crossed her arms in annoyance, "And, may I ask, what the f*ck is it that they're doing anyway?"

Cigar gave her a disinterested glance, "Nothing you need to know. You'll find out later… maybe,"

She glared daggers at him, "You stupid, ugly, fat motherf*cker!"

The old man waved her off, "Hey, at least _I _never went to jail, and I was a drug lord!"

She twitched in fury, "W-What did you just say?!"

He turned to her and smirked, "Yeah, I know about you. I know that you were sent to jail. I know what you _did_. And I know that the only reason that the Grandmaster freed you was because of your powerful psychic abilities,"

"Hmm?" her head hung low, her eyes overshadowed by the thick spikes of hair, "Heheheheheh…" sniggering, she looked up, and broke out into maniacal laughter, "Hyahahahahaha!" her beautiful sapphire eyes had been cracked by the red veins that spread across them, adding to her deranged appearance, "So, you know what I've done? Then you must know what I'm capable of," she grinned sadistically, "Go on, bait me all you want, in the end I'll just kill you like all the others,"

Cigar stared her down, "You may be an insane, psychopathic bitch, but I used to be a drug lord, and I'm not going down that easily,"

The two Galaxy Lords continued glaring at each other for several seconds, until...

***CRASH***

Milky Way looked up, "The f*ck was that?"

Cigar blinked, "Sounds like it came from the other room. We should go check it out,"

Shaking her head grudgingly in agreement, she followed him into the other room, where they came face to face with Jackie…

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Sorry this took so long. I was going to write this yesterday, but I ended up getting distracted and drawing something dirty instead…**

**Don't ask. I have no idea what came over me.**

**Anyways, I mean no offense by having Hero punch a woman.**

**Also, as you can probably tell by the banter between Cigar and Milky Way, I'm trying to take a darker turn in this story. Let's see if I can pull it off.**


	40. Clash of the Universals! Part 1

_**Chapter Forty:**_

_**Clash of the Universals! Part 1**_

* * *

**Morning (10:42 A.M.), Outer Space**

"Everything is running smoothly," the Grandmaster noted after checking the ship's readings.

Getting up, Andromeda made way for the portside window, "Aah, no matter how many times I see it, I never tire of this view."

Outside the window, the little blue planet covered in white clouds, Earth, was in clear view.

Andromeda sighed, "Such a beautiful world, yet so full of fools who can't agree on the simplest of matters, hmm?"

From the surface, a large arc of energy shot out from a region that Andromeda could identify as Kalos, before coming back down to the same place it emerged from.*

"Hmm? What was that about?" Andromeda pondered this event, "It appears as though another fool as gotten into a disagreement," head hung low, the Grandmaster sighed again, "What hope is there for paradise if an agreement can never be reached between different people? WHY CAN'T THESE BASTARDS GET ALONG?!"

The Grandmaster took several deep breaths, "I will end all conflict, all wars, and bring all things together as one," Andromeda looked back up to the world beyond the window, "For I am Grandmaster Andromeda, Lord of the Universe!"

Something darted by the window, catching the Grandmaster's eye, "Ah, there you are," rushing over to the ship's controls, Andromeda gave chase.

**Morning (10:43 A.M.), TV Broadcast Station**

"Ooowww," Jackie moaned as he got back up.

"My, my, what do we have here?"

"Huh?" Jackie looked up, "Oh crap!" he got up immediately.

In front of him were Milky Way and Cigar.

Milky Way licked her lips, "Ooh, it's that kid from before," she smiled devilishly, "You really f*cked things up for me before, now it's time for payback!" her eyes glowed as she invoked her psychic powers.

"Darkforce!" Jackie quickly turned on the black mechanical bracelet, which surrounded him in an invisible dark-type force field, making him untouchable by psychic attacks.

Milky Way's eyes stopped glowing, "Dammit!"

"Whew!" Jackie sighed in relief, "Thank Arceus that Azur let me keep this too,"

"Oh well," Cigar shrugged as he pulled out a Poké Ball, "I guess we'll have to do this the old-fashioned way,"

Gritting her teeth, Milky Way did the same, "Fine, a double battle it is!"

"You're going down!" Jackie pulled out two Poké Balls of his own and tossed them into the air, "Go, go, Deceit, Mary!"

The balls split open, releasing red arcs of energy that materialized into the forms of the Mawile and Flaaffy.

"Kill'em Smoochum!" Milky Way tossed her Poké Ball into the air, where it split open and released its occupant.

"You're up, Escobar," Cigar did the same with his Poké Ball, which released his newly nicknamed Meditite.

"Let's go!" Jackie whispered into the Whisperer's microphone, "Mary, use Thunder Wave on that Meditite. Deceit, Bite that Smoochum!"

Milky Way's eyes flashed as she telekinetically messaged her Smoochum. _Use Heart Stamp on whoever goes after you._

Cigar messaged Escobar. _Mind Power-Up Punching that Flaaffy?_

The Meditite nodded and ran for Mary. _Aye, boss!_

"(Let's go!)" Mary shot a weak electric shock at Escobar, but he jumped over it and struck her hard with a left hook that sent her to the floor, "(Gah!)"

Meanwhile, Deceit rushed at the Smoochum, "(This is gonna hurt!)"

"(Aieee!)" the Smoochum shrieked in fear and turned away, "(Please! Don't hurt me!)"

"(Uhh!)" the Mawile stopped in concern, "(Wait! Are you okay?)"

The Smoochum looked up shyly, "(I-I guess…)" before Deceit could react, she lashed out with a strike that knocked the Mawile away, "(Yeah, I'm alright!)"

"(Dammit!)" Deceit cursed as she got back up, her left cheek bruised by the blow. She glanced to her partner/love-rival, "(Eh, Mary, how you holdin' up?)"

"(Ugh!)" the Flaaffy grunted as she stood up, "(Could be better, could be worse, thanks for asking.)"

"(Yeah, don't mention it.)" Deceit averted her eyes, her face tinged red in embarrassment.

Both sides of the battle halted, glaring at each other.

Jackie narrowed his eyes, "Tell me, just what are you guys doing here?"

Milky Way shot a glare at Cigar, "Believe me, I'm just as confused as you, twerp,"

"Heheh," Cigar snickered, "You'll find out later, believe me, you will."

**Morning (10:48 A.M.), TV Broadcast Station Storage Room**

"Couldn't they at least stick us somewhere we could actually move in?" one worker complained.

All of them were locked up in one of the storage rooms, cramped so close together that they couldn't even move, except one.

"Let us out!" the dark-skinned man banged his fists on the door.

He was roughly twenty-two years old, his smooth hair and beard the color of sand. His eyes were brown and his face hard from experience on the mountain. Around his neck was a compass necklace. Over his head was a red hard hat that matched his thick red jacket. His pants were tan and his boots were black.

One of the workers sighed, "It's no use, Kliff, the door's shut tight and your Pokémon were confiscated by those Universal jerks,"

Another worker nodded glumly, "We'll never get out of here,"

***CRASH***

"Huh?" Kliff looked up, "What was that?"

"Hello!" a voice sounded on the other side of the door, "Is anyone in there?"

"YES!" Kliff yelled, "Who are you? What was that noise?"

The reply came immediately, "Kliff? That you?"

"Hero?" Kliff asked back.

"Yep, it be me!" Hero answered.

"I can't believe it! What are you doing here?" Kliff yelled.

"I'm here with Monster and a new friend of mine to kick some Universal butt," Hero answered, "By the way, that sound was me slamming a grunt headfirst into the wall,"

"It's great to have you!" Kliff yelled, "Hey, how's Kite?"

"He's fine! A little too serious nowadays, but you know the drill," Hero replied, "Hold on a sec, I'll see if I can get you out of here," he examined the door, which was locked tight, "Do you have anywhere to move in there?!"

"No!" Kliff answered, "I'm the only one with any free space, and I can't move any more than three feet!"

"Hmm?" Hero stroked his chin as he contemplated this. He couldn't blow up the door with an aura sphere, nor could he crash it in by force without hurting those inside. The only choice he had was to force it open, "Give me a bit, I'll see what I can-"

"STOP!"

"Huh?" Hero turned around to see a small army of Universal grunts, "Oh great,"

The grunts charged him with a scream of, "ZERRRG RUUUUSH!"

* * *

*** Yes, I referenced an event in X and Y.**


	41. Clash of the Universals! Part 2

_**Chapter Forty-One:**_

_**Clash of the Universals! Part 2**_

* * *

**Morning (10:48 A.M.), TV Broadcast Station**

_I will? What the heck does that mean?_ Jackie considered what Galaxy Lord Cigar had said. _Just what are they doing? _He shook his head. _No time for this!_

Jackie surveyed the battlefield before speaking into the Whisperer, "Deceit, Play Rough with the Meditite. Mary, Charge, then hit the Smoochum with your Thunder Shock!"

"(You're going down!)" grinning, the Mawile rushed around Escobar, forming a smoke cloud as she lashed out at him.

_Bide your time. _Cigar mentally ordered.

_Aye, boss! _Escobar gritted his teeth as he was struck.

Electricity arced over Mary's form as she charged her Thunder Shock.

Milky Way's eyes flashed. _Smoochum, attack that Flaaffy with Ice Beam!_

"(Die!)" the Smoochum pointed one of her small arms at Mary, which fired a ray of icy-cold energy.

"(Take this!)" Mary countered by firing her charged up Thunder Shock.

The jolt of electricity collided with the freeze ray, each pushing against the other with all their might, trying to overpower them and hit their target.

The Smoochum grimaced, "(Give it up, you fat hag!)"

"(WHAT DID YOU SAY?!)" Mary narrowed her eyes and increased her voltage, "(FEEL MY THUNDER!)"

The Thunder Shock grew larger, overpowering the Ice Beam!

"(CRAP!)" the Smoochum cursed as the electricity surged towards her, "(GYAYAYAYAYAYAH!)" she cried out as she was engulfed in static and electrocuted.

When the voltage stopped, she collapsed to the ground, her form charred black.

"Dammit!" Milky Way recalled the Smoochum and reached for another Poké Ball, which she tossed into the air, "Don't fail me, Gothita!"

"(Yes!)" the Gothita nodded as she was released.

Meanwhile, Escobar was enduring Deceit's relentless assault.

"(Don't you know how to fight?)" Deceit sneered as she pummeled him.

To her surprise, he grinned, "(Yes!)" he thrusted his hands out and released a white beam of energy that stuck her away twice as hard as she had hit him.

"(GRAAH!)" she growled in pain as the force of the attack sent her crashing into the wall!

"Deceit!" Jackie called out to his injured friend.

"(Ugh!)" she grunted as she fell to the floor, "(Wow, that hit harder than I thought.)" she held a hand to her shoulder and waved at Jackie with her free one, "(Give me a minute, then I'll be back up, 'kay?)"

Jackie nodded as he reached for another Poké Ball, "Go, go, Sonja!" he tossed the Poké Ball into the air, where it split open, releasing its occupant.

"(Awww right!)" the Noibat took to the air upon being released.

"(Ah, another… heh… one…)" Escobar panted in exhaustion. Deceit's Play Rough had dealt him more damage than he thought.

Cigar's eyes softened in concern. _Hey, Escobar, you look tired, how about a rest?_

The Meditite nodded in gratitude, "(Thanks, boss.)"

"Don't mention it," Cigar sighed as he recalled him. He pulled out another Poké Ball and tossed it out, "It's up to you, Joaquín!"

The Poké Ball split open, releasing a Slowpoke. The small, pink creature appeared to be a cross between a salamander and a hippopotamus. He stood on four legs, each ending in a single white claw. His long tail was tipped white. His ears were curled, his muzzle round and tan, and his eyes vacant and unfocused.

"(Slow poke.)" the Slowpoke yawned.

Jackie blinked in surprise. _Why doesn't that translate?_

The Gothita glared at Mary, "(So we meet again… wait! You evolved?!)"

The Flaaffy cracked her neck, "(Yep! And I'm ready to kick your ass!)"

**Morning (10:56 A.M.), Outside the Storage Room**

"(Whew!)" Inferna sighed as she dispatched a group of Psychic-types, only for another group to take their place, "(Is there any end to these guys?)" the Blaziken complained.

"There has to be," Hero replied as continued working on the door.

"(Uhhh!)" she groaned as she punched away a Bronzor, "(Could you at least give me some back-up so we can finish this quicker?)"

"Sure, why not?" Hero shrugged and as he grabbed another Poké Ball and tossed it out, "Take'em out, Mickey!"

"(GRAAAAAAAAAAA!)" the shiny lion roared, intimidating all of the Universals present. He glared at them and licked his lips, "(So, you're my new opponents? Purrrr-fect!)"

Hero blinked in remembrance, then called over, "Hey, Mickey, remind me to give you and Minnie a vacation later,"

Mickey looked up from where he had pounced on a Beldum, "(Really?! Score! We've been wanting to have some… _alone time_ together…)"

Hero sighed, "Yeah, yeah, you're horny, I get it,"

He looked down. _Maybe I should get a girlfriend? _He shook his head. _Na, I don't need one… but, if Sabrina finally returns my calls… _He started drooling.

**Morning (10:56 A.M.), TV Broadcast Station**

Monster frowned; the Universal grunts just kept coming and coming. Sasha would take out each of their Pokémon quickly, but she couldn't attack more than one at once with a physical move. Sure, she could use a special one, but Monster didn't want to run the risk of tearing down the broadcast station since her favorite show was coming on tonight. That, and she didn't want to hurt anyone _too_ bad.

_I guess we need reinforcements. _She pulled out an Ultra Ball and tossed it into the air, "Mow'em down, Saury!"

The Ultra Ball split open, releasing a yellow arc of energy that materialized into the form of a mighty dragon.

Dark grey armor-like skin covered his back and most of his front, while black skin covered his torso, tail tip, and inner thighs. His claws and talons (of which he had three on each hand and foot) were red. His black, beak-like mouth had black and red scythe-like tusks emerging from both sides of the upper jaw. His eyes were medium-sized, with red eyes and pupils.

"(RAAAAAAAAAAWR!)" the shiny Haxorus roared.

Sasha smiled as she pummeled a Solrock, "(It's good to see you, Dear.)"

Saury's eyes softened as he lumbered over to her, "(You too, my love.)" he turned to the army of Universals, "(Now, who wants some?)"

He rampaged through their ranks using Outrage.


	42. Clash of the Universals! Part 3

_**Chapter Forty-Two:**_

_**Clash of the Universals! Part 3**_

* * *

**Morning (10:56 A.M.), TV Broadcast Station**

On Jackie's side were Sonja and Mary, with Deceit resting behind him, while the Galaxy Lords had a Gothita and Joaquín, a Slowpoke.

Cigar's eyes flashed as he telepathically messaged Joaquín. _First thing first, use Disable on that Flaaffy._

"(Slow.)" the Slowpoke nodded, his eyes glowing blue as Mary began glowing as well.

Mary grinned as she stared down the terrified Gothita, "(This is gonna hurt!)" electricity arced over her body as she prepared a Thunder Shock, "(HAH!)" she let loose her electricity, "(Huh?!)" but nothing happened!

"What the?!" Jackie blinked in surprise, "What happened?"

Cigar grinned, "That was Disable. It prevents you from using the move you used last time. Didn't you notice the blue light?"

"Ooh, finally, you're doing something good for a change," Milky Way licked her lips as her eyes flashed. _Gothita, hit that Flaaffy with Double Slap, followed by a Psybeam._

Grinning, the Gothita nodded vigorously, "(Bitch slap!)" while Mary was still distracted by the Disable, she jumped and slapped her repeatedly with her small arms, forcing the Flaaffy back.

She then brought her arms together and fired a colorful ray of psychic energy, which slammed into Mary's head and knocked her down to the ground.

Cigar's eyes flashed as he gave his next order. _Joaquín, Headbutt the Noibat._

"(Slow!)" Joaquín nodded, jogged forwards, and jumped up, slamming into Sonja headfirst.

"(Gah!)" Sonja fell to the ground from the hard-headed Slowpoke's attack.

Jackie turned his attention towards her, "Sonja!"

She got back up, shaking off the last hit, "(I'm… okay…)"

Jackie bit his lip, Sonja wasn't okay. They had been so focused on Mary and the Gothita that they had ignored the Slowpoke, whose strong physical attack had really hurt the fragile Noibat.

He gave his next order, "Sonja, hit'em with Dragon Breath!"

She nodded, "(Right!)" Opening her mouth, she let loose a blast of breath that pushed back the Slowpoke.

Cigar smiled. _Overpower her with Ice Beam._

He nodded, the Dragon Breath still pushing him away, "(Slow!)" Joaquín opened his mouth, releasing a freezing ray of energy that cut through Sonja's Dragon Breath and engulfed the fragile dragon in its icy grip!

"NOOOOOIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!" Sonja shrieked as the super-effective cold washed over her.

"Sonja!" Jackie called out.

The beam dissipated, revealing the shivering dragon, her fur thick with frost, "(S-S-So c-c-c-c-cold!)"

Cigar licked his lips, "Finish her off with Headbutt!"

"(Slow!)" nodding, the Slowpoke charged forwards.

Jackie's eyes widened in worry, "Sonja, dodge it!"

Still shivering, she nodded, "(R-R-Right!)" she flapped her wings to take to the air, but she was so weighted down with ice that she couldn't even get off the ground, leaving her defenseless as Joaquín tackled her headfirst, sending her flying into the wall!

"SONJA!" Jackie called out as the Noibat fell to the floor.

She didn't respond; she was unconscious.

Jackie shut his eyes as he recalled her, "You did good, girl," he turned to glare at the Galaxy Lords, "You'll pay for that!" he turned his attention back to Mary and the Gothita, "Mary, get up!"

The Flaaffy shook off the pain, "(Okay!)"

The Gothita smirked as Mary got back up, "(You are way too easy!)"

Mary glared at her, "(Oh, easy am I?)" she charged full speed toward the Gothita and slammed into her, sending her flying several feet away. She grinned through the recoil, "(How… heh…heh… was that?)"

Jackie blinked, "I didn't know you could use Take Down,"

Deceit smiled from where she rested, "Hmm? Not bad… for a barn animal,"

"(Oww…)" the Gothita groaned from where she lay.

"Get back up!" Milky Way snarled.

Cigar shook his head, "No use, she's already out,"

The female Galaxy Lord ground her teeth together as she recalled the fallen Gothita, "Lousy good for nothing whore!" she pulled out another Poké Ball, "This is it, you'd better not fail!"

Jackie pulled out his last Poké Ball, "It's your turn now," he tossed the ball into the air, where it split open, releasing its occupant, "Go, go, Runt!"

"(GRAAAAAA!)" the Quilava roared as he materialized on the battlefield, "(It's fightin' time!)" he glared at his opponents, "(You're gonna pay for what you did to Sonja!)"

"Ooh!" Milky Way smiled devilishly, "This will be interesting," she tossed out her last Poké Ball, "Murder them all, Kirlia!"

The ball split open, releasing the green and white ballerina-like Pokémon, her eyes shut, poised with her two hands touching in the air and her right foot touching her left knee.

The Kirlia opened her eyes… and a massive, psychotic grin spread across her face as her gaze fell upon Runt, "(Weeeeell…)" she licked her lips, "(…If it isn't my last victim…)"

"(Y-You!)" Runt gulped as he backed away from the mentally disturbed ballerina, their previous encounter where she had violated his mind still fresh in his head.

**Morning (11:14 A.M.), Outside the Storage Room**

"Almost there!" Hero grinned as he messed around with the door.

"(That's good to hear…)" Inferna wiped the sweat away from her brow.

Most of the Universals had been defeated, leaving only a small group while the others had retreated.

"Get them!" a robed man at the back of the group ordered.

The group nodded in sync and charged, Poké Balls at the ready, "Yes, sir, Supervisor Aquila!"

Inferna sighed as the grunts released their Pokémon, "(At least we're almost done with them.)"

"(Yeah!)" Mickey nodded while licking his lips, "(I can't wait for that vacation with my lovely Minnie!)"

Inferna frowned, "(Yeah, yeah, Mr. Lovey Dovey.)"

He smirked, "(You're just jealous.)"

She held a hand to her arm in embarrassment, "(Well…)"

He frowned, "(It's not gonna work out.)"

Her shoulders drooped as she sighed, "(I know.)" she turned back to the grunts, "(At least I can take my rage out on these guys!)"

**Morning (11:15 A.M.), TV Broadcast Station**

The ranks of grunts had been severely thinned by the combined efforts of Sasha and Saury.

Saury flexed his thin arms, "(Hah! World's strongest battle couple!)"

Sasha blushed, "(I don't know about that.)"

From the back of the crowd, a robed woman bit her lip. _Dammit! They're just too strong!_

She yelled out to the grunts in front of her, "Fight on in the name of our Grandmaster!"

The Grunts cheered as they released more Pokémon, "Yes, Supervisor Lacerta!"

**Morning (11:16 A.M.), Master Control Room**

The two robed scientists typed furiously on the computers.

The first one grinned, "Almost there!"

The second nodded, "Yes, we just need to hide it with the masking program. After all, we can't let them find out about our little surprise,"

* * *

**No school FTW!**


	43. Clash of the Universals! Part 4

_**Chapter Forty-Three:**_

_**Clash of the Universals! Part 4**_

* * *

**Morning (11:16 A.M.), TV Broadcast Station**

Runt gulped as he stared down the psychopathic Kirlia, "(I-I'm not scared of you!)"

Eyeing him like a Delcatty watching her prey, she licked her lips in anticipation, "(Don't worry. I'm not going to hurt you.)" she spoke in a cheery tone devoid of malice, "(I'm just going to finish the job I started!)"

The Quilava shook his head, "(You can try, but I won't let you catch me off guard like last time!)" he jumped into the air, spinning while cloaking himself in fire, then came back down to the ground, rolling straight for the Kirlia!

Jackie smirked, "Show her what for, Runt!"

"(Yeah!)" Deceit cheered him on, "(You can do it, baby!)"

Mary smiled as she charged for Cigar's Slowpoke, Joaquín. _Take that bitch down!_

Hands touching in the air, right foot on left knee, the Kirlia spun around and jumped into the air, avoiding the tire of fire as it sped past, nearly running over Milky Way as it rolled up the wall!

She smirked, "(Is that all you go- GYAAH!)" she cried out in surprise as the fiery wheel fell on top of her from the ceiling!

Smirking, the Quilava had her pinned down to the ground, "(Gotcha, bitch!)"

Her eyes widened, "(WHAT?!)" she struggled under his weight, "(Get off of me!)"

_Way to go! _Mary mentally congratulated him as she raced for the Slowpoke, who, under mental orders from Cigar, jumped over on top of her head, then jumped over to them, crashing headfirst into Runt and knocking him off of the Kirlia.

"(Ugh!)" Runt grunted as he picked himself back up.

Cigar glanced at Milky Way, "You're welcome,"

She crossed her arms and grumbled numerous curses, "We didn't need your help,"

"Dammit," Jackie cursed, "Right when we had her right where we wanted her,"

"(Grr!)" growling, the Kirlia got right back up and glared at Runt, "(You're going to pay for that!)"

He smirked, "(Really? I don't think so. I know how you work: physically, you're quite fragile, which is why you rely on the element of surprise to win your battles, like last time! Well, that ain't gonna work again!)"

Her eyes widened in surprise, before narrowing in rage as she began giggling uncontrollably, "(Hihihihihihihi!)" she held her hands to her sides, not taking her narrowed eyes off of Runt, "(That's it! I'm going to make you suffer for this! Hihihihihihi!)" still giggling insanely, she slowly walked up to him, to which he warily backed away, "(I'm going to break you. Before, I raped your mind, but I won't stop there this time. Hihihihi!)" her psychotic grin widened, "(I'm going to take you back home with me to be my toy. I will violate your mind and body until you are nothing left but a bag of meat with a liquefied brain, babbling incoherently like a baby, just begging me for more!)"

Runt swallowed nervously as he continued backing away; she was beginning to unnerve him, which would make him that much more susceptible to her surprises.

He needn't do anything more, as Mary placed herself between them.

The Kirlia raised an eyebrow, "(What do you want?)"

The Flaaffy glared at her defiantly as Joaquín's Disable wore off, "(Stay away from him, you bitch!)"

"(That's right, sistah!)" Deceit cheered from where she rested.

Milky Way frowned at this display. _Kirlia, kill them both. Try out Dazzling Gleam._

_Okay_. The Kirlia licked her lips as she began her attack, releasing a powerful flash of light to decimate her opponents.

Which Mary was completely unaffected by as she shut her eyes and tackled the Kirlia with Take Down, "(GYAH!)" the psychotic Kirlia was sent flying into the side wall with such force that she actually coughed up a little blood.

As the ballerina rose, Mary spat in her direction, "(You're not so tough!)"

Breathing heavily, the psychopath wiped away the trail of blood from her mouth. She stared at the blood on her hand, which was trembling in fury, "(Y-Y-You made m-me b-bleed?!)" she turned to Mary with rage-filled eyes, "(HOW DARE YOU?! GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!)" in a fury, she unleashed a large electric blast at them.

Mary smirked, "(That all yah got, sugah?)" she countered this Thunderbolt with her own jolt of electricity.

The two Electric-type attacks clashed, fighting to overpower one another!

The Kirlia's Thunderbolt was the stronger move, while Mary was the stronger Special Attacker, leaving the two at a stand-off.

Her face twisted into a furious grimace, the Kirlia increased her voltage, all the while chanting, "(DIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIE!)"

Mary held firm as she increased her own voltage, "(I WON'T LET YOU BEAT ME!)"

Sparks crackled about where the two streams of electricity clashed.

Jackie's eyes widened as his TV-watching experience helped him realize what was about to happen, "HIT THE DECK!"

He and the Galaxy Lords dropped to the floor as the colliding Electric-type attacks gave way into a mighty explosion!

The force completely blew the three trainers off of the ground and into the walls behind them, where they were unable to move until the dust from the torn up floor began clearing.

"Hrr," Jackie groaned as he fell from the wall. Picking himself up, he surveyed the battlefield.

Across the middle of the room a miniature gorge had been dug. On the Galaxy Lord's side of the gorge was Joaquín, his form charred and twitching.

_He must've been caught in the blast. _Jackie noted. He looked to his side to find Deceit, a little ruffled, but none the worse for wear.

He looked around, worried, "Mary! Runt! Where are you?!"

"(Over here!)"

"Huh?!" he turned to the right end of the miniature gorge where the dust cleared to reveal Runt and an unconscious Mary, "Are you okay?"

Runt nodded, "(Yeah, I'm fine, just a little frazzled.)" He gestured to Mary, who he held protectively in his arms, "(She just used up all her power, and now she's out like a light. She'll be fine, though.)"

Jackie sighed, "That's good to hear,"

On the other side of the room, Milky Way got up, staggering and breathing heavily, "What happened? Why did it f*cking explode?!"

"Kaa kaa!" beside her, Cigar had broken into a coughing fit.

Milky Way surveyed the battlefield, "Kirlia? Where are you?!" she turned to the left end of the miniature gorge, where the dust settled to reveal her Kirlia, who, like Mary, had used up all of her energy and was out like a light, "SH*T!" the female Galaxy Lord took out her Poké Ball and recalled her.

She held the Poké Ball up to her face and glared at it, "You worthless piece of sh*t, how could you lose again?!"

After his cough had subsided, Cigar recalled his Slowpoke, "Well, looks like it's down to me and you, boy," he pulled out his last Poké Ball.

Jackie swallowed nervously. _I hope Runt can handle this._

"WE NEED TO RETREAT!"

"Huh?" he turned around as the doors behind him burst open.

A robed woman (Supervisor Lacerta) ran by him, jumped over the miniature gorge, and came to a stop in front of the Galaxy Lords, "Milky Way! Cigar! We have to leave now! All the grunts have been beaten!"

Milky Way's eyes widened, "WHAT?!"

"Yep!" Monster walked in through the doors, Sasha and Saury behind her.

**Morning (11:32 A.M.), Outside the Storage Room**

"(Hiya!)" Inferna kicked away the last Solosis, "(There! All done!)"

With that, all of the grunts had been defeated, forcing them to retreat.

Only one robed man was left: Supervisor Aquila, "SH*T!" he cursed as he backed away from the two Pokémon, "Things can't get any worse!"

"DONE!" Hero called over as he finally got the door open without hurting anyone.

"WE'RE FREE!" the workers and Gym Leader stormed out.

"Dammit!" Aquila cursed again, then vanished into thin air, having teleported to the Master Control Room.

Mickey blinked in astonishment, "(The f*ck?! Where did he go?!)"

Hero frowned as he walked over, "He must have been one of those teleporter guys Jackie told me about,"

Kliff walked up to him, "Thank you for saving us, but I think we need to hurry and find those friends you were talking about,"

Hero nodded, "That we should,"


	44. Clash of the Universals! Part 5

_**Chapter Forty-Four:**_

_**Clash of the Universals! Part 5**_

* * *

**Morning (11:33 A.M.), TV Broadcast Station**

Supervisor Lacerta swallowed nervously as Milky Way glared at her murderously, "W-We n-need to retreat, all of the grunts have been defeated!"

"Gah!" Milky Way spat to the side, "Worthless fools!"

"Hihihi!" Monster giggled, "They were way too easy," she looked back to the doorway behind her, "Hero should be done with his bunch by now,"

Cigar bit his lip, "Dammit! I guess we'll have to retreat,"

A figure appeared from nowhere beside him, "Cigar! We need t-" he paused and looked around, "-Oh, looks like you know already,"

Cigar sighed at the teleporter's sudden appearance, "Ah, Supervisor Aquila, I assume your group was defeated by Hero?" the robed supervisor nodded in shame, "Oh well," Cigar narrowed his eyes and whispered so that only Aquila could hear him, "_Did you teleport our operatives in the Master Control Room to safety before you poofed in?_"

Aquila nodded and whispered back, "_Yes, I made sure to teleport back here afterwards. After all, we don't want them suspecting that we already did something in there,_"

"_Ah,_" Cigar smiled in approval, "_I take it they were successful with our little bug, then?_"

Grinning, the supervisor nodded, "_You bet they did!_"

"Good," Cigar turned back to the others, who were eyeing him suspiciously, and shrugged, "Oh well, looks like we failed our mission before we could even get to the Master Control Room,"

Milky Way's eyes widened in confusion, "Wh-"

A single, quick glare from Cigar was enough to silence her as she caught on.

Her shoulder's drooped as a vein bulged across her forehead, "Arceus dammit all!" _Even after all this, I still don't know what the f*ck we were doing here?!_

Monster crossed her arms victoriously, Saury and Sasha imitating her, "We beat you down!" she stared at them smugly, "And now we're taking you in!"

Jackie narrowed his eyes. _Something's not right about this…_

Milky Way gave Monster a smug look, "Oh no you're not," she snapped her fingers, causing Lacerta to walk over and grab her hand, Aquila doing the same for Cigar, "We have teleporters, so we can get away with ease!"

"Oh yeah?!" Monster's eyes widened in fury, "Well… uh…" she bit her lip, unable to think of anything to counter that.

Jackie stepped forward as Runt carried Mary over by Deceit, "Tell me, what are you doing? What is your goal?"

"Heheheh!" Milky Way snickered before giving him a wide smirk of superiority, "What do you think? What else could we be after but world domination? A world ruled by Psychics, a world where we are supreme! A perfect world!"

Jackie eyes widened, "What?!"

Unbeknownst to all, Cigar grinned, letting out a silent chuckle of amusement. _Hmhmhm, well, she's half-right._

Milky Way clenched her free fist, "That is what we are after,"

Monster glared at her in disgust, "World domination? Is that the best you could come up with? Besides, why should you rule the world? What makes you so much better than everyone else?"

Milky Way licked her lips, "Isn't it obvious?" she held out her free hand, "We are Psychics. We can do things no one else can do. We are special. We have a gift. And we were given that gift to set us apart from all else." She clenched her free hand into a fist, as if imagining that she was crushing the world itself in her grip, "To set ourselves at the top above all others, why that is our divine right!"

Jackie and Monster stared at her in astonishment as Cigar's grin faded back into a frown. _Power-mad psycho-bitch._

Jackie bared his fists, "I won't let that happen! We will stop you!"

"Heheheh," Milky Way's hair spike overshadowed one of her eyes as she sniggered, "You can try," she turned to Lacerta, "Come on, let's go. We need to get back to the base soon,"

The supervisor nodded, and in an instant, both she and Milky Way had disappeared.

Cigar turned to them and waved, "I'll see you guys later… I'm sure of it," he focused his only useable eye (the left one), on Jackie, "You have a big role to play, kid, I look forward to seeing you and that friend of yours later on,"

Jackie's eyes widened, "Wha-" before he could question him, the Galaxy Lord had been teleported away, "Dammit!"

Sasha sighed, "(Looks like they got away again.)"

Saury nodded, "(At least no one got killed.)"

Monster grounded her teeth together, "Am I the only one who seriously wanted to kill that spiky-haired bitch?"

Runt let loose a sigh of relief, "(I can't believe we beat those guys.)" he looked down to Mary, who was beginning to regain consciousness. He smiled in admiration, "(Wow, Mary, what you did out there was amazing!)"

He could feel her shift a little as her eyes weakly opened just a fraction, "(Really?)" he nodded, and her face took on a hint of red, "(Th-Thanks.)" She could feel a hand rub the wool on her head, "(Huh?)"

It was Deceit, "(You did well… for a barn animal.)"

Mary narrowed her eyes at this insult, but relaxed as she figured that this was just Deceit's way of complimenting her, "(You're not bad yourself.)" Mary replied as she shut her eyes to rest on Runt's chest.

Smiling, Runt patted her on the head.

Deceit frowned; jealous at the attention Mary was getting from the object of their affections, "(I could go for a short nap myself.)" she rested her head against the Quilava's shoulder as her eyes closed.

Runt sighed as they nestled up to him. He'd be lying if he said that he didn't find them attractive. Truth be told, he actually found their advances quite appealing. He did like them, and he certainly wouldn't mind having either of them as a mate… but he was a warrior. The path of the warrior was the path of solitude. Having a companion other than a trainer would only hinder his path to the top.

His eyes narrowed as he looked up at the ceiling. _I will become the strongest. They called me a runt, they said I'd never survive, they said I wouldn't amount to much, but I'll show them! I'll prove to everyone that just because I'm a runt doesn't mean that I don't have what it takes to be the best!_

"Hey! Is everybody alright?" his internal monologue was interrupted when Hero walked into the room, Kliff following.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Sorry about not uploading yesterday, I had a sh*tload of homework.**

**So, to make up for it, I'll be trying to type two chapters today. Let's see if I can do it.**

**Anyways, we got a good chunk of info in this chapter. We've learned about Team Universal's apparent goal, Milky Way's… warped mindset about it, and Runt's thoughts on Mary and Deceit.**

**What do you think?**


	45. Super Strength

_**Chapter Forty-Five:**_

_**Super Strength**_

* * *

**Afternoon (1:13 P.M.), Pardo Village Pokémon Center**

After the Galaxy Lords had vacated the Broadcast Station, Jackie was sent off to the Pokémon Center to heal his Pokémon while Monster, Hero, and Kliff took care of the remaining grunts.

"Here you are," the Nurse Joy brought over his four Poké Balls, "They're all fighting fit and ready to go,"

He dipped his head in gratitude as he took the Poké Balls, "Thank you, Nurse,"

She smiled, "You're welcome,"

He walked away until he was alone in a corner of the building, "Go, go, everybody!" he tossed all of the Poké Balls into the air, where they split open, releasing their occupants. Jackie grinned as he turned on the Whisperer, "Hey guys, how're you feeling?"

Deceit stretched her arms, "(Good as new.)"

Mary fluffed up her wool, "(Aah~ I feel so refreshed.)"

Sonja hugged herself with her wings, "(Mmm-hmm! Nice and toasty for the win!)"

"(I'm okay.)" Runt shrugged.

"Well," Jackie looked around, "It'll be awhile before they finish doing… whatever they're doing at the Broadcast Station, so our Gym Battle with Kliff will have to wait. Until then, do what you want,"

"(YEAH!)" they cheered and dispersed.

Runt rested on a chair in the corner while Sonja flew off to eat.

"Hmm?" Jackie walked over and sat beside him, "So, how are things going?"

The Quilava looked up, "(I'm trying to rest here.)"

Grinning, Jackie pointed to Mary and Deceit, who, amazingly, were actually talking together rather amiably, "It's them, isn't it?"

The Quilava flushed, "(H-How di-)"

"I'm not stupid," Jackie frowned, "I can see it," he leaned closer and whispered into the Quilava's ear, "_They want the D!_"

"(Gah!)" the Quilava fell backwards in surprise and embarrassment, "(JACKIE!)"

Jackie grinned in response.

"HEY, JACKIE!"

"GYAAH!" he fell backwards in surprise, "What the?" he got up and turned around, "What the hell, Hero?!"

The wild blue-haired man grinned as he patted Jackie on the head, "Good to see you, Jackie!"

"Woohoo!"

"GAAH!" Hero cried out as Monster jumped on his back, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck.

"How ya doin'?" Monster asked them as she unintentionally strangled Hero.

Jackie shrugged, "I'm okay,"

Runt opened his mouth to speak, then closed it as he remembered that only Jackie (and quite possibly Hero, he had his suspicions), could understand him.

Monster grinned as Hero's face turned blue, "That's good to hear!"

Jackie gulped and pointed to Hero, "Is he okay?"

Monster blinked and released him, "I don't know," she looked down to Hero, who was massaging his throat while taking massive gulps of air, "Hey, Hero, are ya alright?" Hero mouthed something obscene to her, but she couldn't read his lips, "He's fine,"

Hero got up, still massaging his neck, "Well, Jackie, Kliff's ready to battle at the Gym, so are you ready?"

"Just about," Jackie nodded, "Hey, what type does Kliff specialize in?"

Monster grinned and answered, "Rock-types are his specialty,"

"Oh, ok-CRAP!" Jackie cursed mid-sentence.

Monster blinked in surprise, "What's the matter with you?"

Hero nodded in understanding, "I see the problem," he placed a hand on Monster's shoulder and explained, "Look around, Monster. Only one of Jackie's Pokémon, Deceit, resist Rock-type attacks, the rest are weak to them,"

"Ah!" she nodded in realization while holding a hand to her chin, "I see," her eyes closed, "This will be a tough battle for you, Jackie, but…" her eyes opened and she winked at him, "… If you win, and because you helped out so much at the TV Broadcast Station, I'll give you a little something special,"

"Yeah," Jackie swallowed nervously, "I think I'll just battle with Deceit,"

"Aah!" her shoulders drooped and she let out a groan, "Where's the fun in that?"

"A chance of winning?" Hero suggested.

"Yeah, yeah," she patted him on the head, the sheer force slamming him headfirst into the ground, "Oh well," she ran for the door, "Come on, we have a battle to see!"

Hero forced himself back up and spat out a tooth, "Arceus dammit!"

Jackie stared in astonishment, "Why is she so strong?"

Hero sighed, "Ever since she was littl…er, she trained to fight with her Pokémon. She and her Tyranitar still wrestle together on weekends. To this day, neither one of them has ever been able to get three straight wins against the other."

Jackie gulped, "Damn!"

Hero nodded, "Damn indeed,"

Jackie blinked in remembrance, "Oh, by the way, you and Monster seem to know each other quite well," he leaned forward, "Why is that?"

Hero smiled, placing a hand on Jackie's head and ruffling his spiky green hair, "A hero helps a lot of people, and knows a lot of them too,"

Jackie stared at him inquisitively for several seconds before shaking his head, "Fine, let's go to that Gym," he called out to his Pokémon, "Hey, guys! It's time to leave!"

"(Okay!)" the four chorused as they gathered and followed their trainer out of the building.

Hero followed after them. _Jackie's a good kid. He'll make an excellent successor…_

**Afternoon (1:26 P.M.), Pardo Village Pokémon Gym**

"And here we are," Jackie declared as he and his Pokémon filed into the building.

"Hey, look who finally showed up!" Monster hooted from the railings above the arena.

Hero walked in behind Jackie's Pokémon, "You make me proud, Jackie," he gave him a 'V' for victory and walked up to stand by Monster, resting his arms on the railings.

Jackie nodded, "I will!" he ran up to the arena, which was a 30 by 40 foot long stretch of rough land, dotted with rocks of various sizes and shades of brown.

On the other side of the arena was Kliff, who tossed a single Poké Ball up and down in the air, "So you're the kid who beat up those Galaxy King or whatever guys, eh?" he scrutinized Jackie, "You don't look like much, but…" he glanced up at Monster in the railings, "… I know from personal experience that appearances can be deceiving." He turned back to Jackie, "So, how is this gonna work?"

Jackie grinned, "A good one-on-one showdown!"

Kliff shrugged as he clenched the Poké Ball in his hand, "Sounds A-Okay to me!"


	46. VS - Pardo Village Gym Leader!

_**Chapter Forty-Six:**_

_**VS – Pardo Village Gym Leader: Kliff!**_

* * *

**Afternoon (1:28 P.M.), Pardo Village Pokémon Gym**

In-between them and outside the arena, a portly hiker of forty-six years walked up, two flags in hand: one red, the other green, "Okay! The battle between Jackie of Verde Town and Kliff of Pardo village may now begin!"

"Let's rock their world, Faker!" Kliff tossed out his Poké Ball, which split open, releasing an arc of red energy that materialized in the form of a tree-like Pokémon.

The Sudowoodo had a brown, log-shaped body decorated with yellow spots. His legs were short and toeless while his arms were thin, ending in three green spheres. A forked "branch" emerged from the top of his head.

"Wow," from his royal blue hoodie, Jackie pulled out his Pokédex, which the author had completely forgotten about until now.

**Sudowoodo, the Imitation Pokémon. Its forte is disguising itself as a tree, but all it takes is a little water to root it out.**

"Hmm? A Rock-type masquerading as a Grass-type, eh?" Jackie gestured behind him, "Go, go, Deceit!"

"(Bring it on! All or nothing!)" the large Mawile ran for the arena, jumping forward and landing on a large rock. She glared down at the Sudowoodo, caught in the rock's shadow, "(Ya ready to get your ass handed to ya, Rocky?)"

"(Go get'em, Deceit!)" Runt cheered from behind Jackie.

"(You can do this!)" Mary called out.

"(Go, go, Deceit! You know you can't be beat! Kick that sucker with your feet, while we all take a seat, yeah!)" Sonja cheered in the air above their heads.

Hero smiled from the railings, "Let's see how this plays out,"

"Hey, Hero," he felt Monster very gently elbow him.

He glanced over, "What is it?"

She kept her eyes focused on the arena as she spoke, "How's your… investigation coming along?"

He made the slightest frown at her question, "Quite well, actually. I've gotten quite a bit of information from those Universal grunts,"

"That so?" she frowned, "You could just ask us for some help, you know?"

He shook his head, "Nah. If I refused to let Kite help, what makes you think that I'll accept your help?"

"Touché," she smiled, "Well, at least we know you can handle it,"

He grinned, "Yeah, I've taken out my fair share of criminal organizations,"

Her eyes glanced at Jackie, "And it looks like you got yourself a new protégé,"

He shrugged, "Every five years, that's the tradition,"

Back down at the arena, Kliff gave Jackie a thumbs up, "Hey, kid, you get the first move, a'right?"

Jackie nodded and bared his fist, "Let's go, Deceit! Hit'em hard with Iron Head!"

"(Will do!)" Deceit grinned as she ran down the rock she was on, then, tensing her leg muscles, launched herself headfirst at the Sudowoodo.

Kliff clenched his fist, "Faker, dodge by jumping backwards, and then use Rock Tomb!"

"(Okay!)" the Sudowoodo gave him a salute before jumping back, avoiding Deceit as she crashed headfirst into the ground.

"(Grr, dammit!)" the Mawile growled as she got up, holding a hand to her sore head.

"(Wait till you get a taste of this!)" Faker stomped the ground hard where he landed, causing the ground beneath Deceit to shake and burst upwards to her neck, trapping her in a solid rock prison.

While Deceit struggled to escape the rocks, Kliff gave his next order, "Faker, hit her with a Rock Slide!"

The Sudowoodo saluted, "(Yes, sir!)" he charged behind the rock Deceit had stood on and gave it a mighty punch, causing it to shake and crumble.

"(OH SH*T!)" the Mawile's eyes widened as the rock collapsed, sending a cascading river of stones straight over her.

"Deceit!" Jackie and his Pokémon cried out.

Kliff grinned, "Well done, Rocky!"

The Sudowoodo walked over to the debris and smiled, "(You never stood a chance.)"

The rubble in front of him shifted, and he leaned forward to inspect it, "(Hmm?)"

"(GRAAH!)" he was knocked clean away by a powerful sucker punch to the face as Deceit burst from the rock.

While the others stared in shock, Deceit blew on her fist, then wiped it on her pale yellow chest, "(How'd like them apples?)"

"Deceit," Jackie began, "Was that Feint Attack?"

She looked over to him and nodded, "(Yeah, just learned it a while ago, never really got the chance to use it, though.)"

"Ah," Jackie nodded, "I see,"

"You okay, Faker?" Kliff called out.

"(Y-Yes, sir!)" the Sudowoodo got back up. He shook his head to set his vision straight, "(Little f*cker got me out of nowhere.)"

Deceit bared her fists, "(Come on, ya ready for round two?!)"

Faker cracked his neck, "(Bring it!)"

"Let's take her down!" Kliff shouted as he pointed to the Mawile, "Trap her with Rock Tomb!"

"(Yes, sir!)" Faker jumped up, ready to bring his feet down and create another rocky prison.

Jackie threw his left hand to the side, "We won't let that work a second time! Deceit, intercept with Iron Head!"

Deceit licked her lips as she ran forward, "(This is gonna hurt you a lot more than it's gonna hurt me!)" she launched herself off of the ground with a mighty leap, slamming steel-hard headfirst into the Sudowoodo!

"(GYAH!)" the force of the super-effective attack knocked Faker a clear several meters away.

Deceit landed back on her own two feet, "(Piece of cake!)"

"Not good," Kliff bit his lip as his Sudowoodo forced itself back up. _One more of those and Faker's down for the count. Better finish this quickly! _"Let's end this! Use Rock Polish! Followed by Bulldoze!"

Grinning, Faker saluted, "(Oh, yes, sir!)" his body began glowing, but not evolving, causing him to feel much lighter and faster. He glared at the large Mawile, "(Take this, you cur!)" he began stamping his feet rapidly on the ground, forming a dust cloud. The effect was almost cartoonish as he raced forward, his legs moving so fast that they appeared to be wheels.

Jackie's eyes widened, "If that hits, it'll be super-effective! We gotta dodge it!"

"(Don't have to tell me twice!)" Deceit tried to jump above the charging Sudowoodo, but she had not gotten a foot off of the ground when Faker slammed into her, "(GAAH!)"

"Deceit!" Jackie called out as Faker swerved around and ran into her again.

"(Grr!)" Growling, she got back up, only to be run over again by the bulldozing Sudowoodo.

Jackie gritted his teeth as he ran over his options. _Come on! Think! What can we do? Ah! That's it! _"Deceit! Get ready to use your fangs!"

Deceit's eyes widened as Faker came charging back at her, "(Duh! Why didn't I think of that?!)" as Faker was almost upon her, she spun around him and, using her mouth-like steel horns, latched onto his arm.

"(GYAH!)" the Sudowoodo screamed as the jaw-like horns bit into his arm. "(Get it off! GET IT OFF!)" he shook his arm furiously to dislodge the Mawile, but to no avail.

"SH*T!" Kliff swore as Hero and Monster looked on in amusement.

Faker ran around frantically trying to remove Deceit from his arm. The Mawile crossed her arms and frowned as he did so, "(So, what do we do now?)"

Jackie sweatdropped, "I didn't think that far ahead,"

His Pokémon facefaulted behind him, Sonja falling from the air.

"(Then think of something quickly!)" Deceit's eyes widened as Faker prepared to slam her into the largest rock in the arena.

"Uhh!" Jackie looked around, evaluating his options, "Let go!"

"(Okay!)" she let go of the Sudowoodo's arm just before he slammed it into the rock.

"(GYAH!)" he drew away in pain as the rock began crumbling.

"Get out of there!" Jackie ordered, and she obeyed, running out of the way as the rock collapsed into an avalanche of rubble.

The Sudowoodo wasn't so lucky. Distracted by the pain of slamming his arm, very tender from the Mawile's strong bite, into the hardest rock in the arena, he was consumed by the river of rubble.

Everyone stared at the rock slide Faker had disappeared under. After several seconds, the rubble shifted, and Faker stumbled out. He was staggering, clearly dazed, "(I-I'm o-okaaaay.)"

Deceit shrugged, "(Oh well.)" she ran forward and tackled him headfirst with her steel-hard head. He was too dazed to dodge, and was sent crashing back onto the debris.

"(Sh**********t…)" he moaned as he passed out.

The hiker referee raised the green flag into the air, "Faker is unable to battle! The victory goes to Jackie of Verde Town!"

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**And so another Gym battle draws to a close. **

**To those wondering, yes, I did forget that Mary's Electric-typing was not weak against Rock-types. But she is weak against Ground-type moves like Bulldoze… but so is Deceit, so… yeah, I have no excuse…**


	47. Bad Puns Would Spoil the Surprise

_**Chapter Forty-Seven:**_

_**Bad Puns Would Spoil the Surprise**_

* * *

**Afternoon (1:48 P.M.), Pardo Village Pokémon Gym**

Kliff whistled as he recalled the unconscious Sudowoodo, "Shoot, you certainly did a number on Faker." He walked over to Jackie, who was congratulating Deceit with his other Pokémon, "That Mawile of yours is a mighty fine specimen; I've never seen one that big before,"

Deceit wiped a hand on her chest, "(I take after my dad in that department.)"

Sonja flew circles around them overhead, "(You did it!)"

Mary gave her a wry grin, "(That you did.)"

Deceit grinned back. She was beginning to like Mary. Not in the same way she liked Runt, mind you, but still.

Runt nodded his head in acknowledgement, "(That was an excellent battle.)"

She turned to him and fluttered her eyelashes, "(So, do I get a victory kiss?)"

Runt's eyes went blank as Mary fumed behind them, "(Uhhh…)"

Smiling, Kliff held out his hand, "Welp, you beat me, so here's your reward: the Mountain Badge,"

"Sweet!" Jackie took the badge, examining it. It took the shape of a medium-sized triangle, over-lapped by two smaller triangles on either side, giving it the appearance of a minimalistic mountain range.

"YEAH!" He lifted the badge high into the air, "We got the Mountain Badge!"

Sonja perched on his head and spread her wings triumphantly, "(That we did!)"

Runt flexed his muscles, earning lustful gazes from Deceit and Mary, "(We came, we saw, we conquered.)"

Mary let electricity crackle around her wool as she bleated, "(Victory!)"

"(Uhh…)" at a loss at what to do, Deceit struck an alluring pose, "(Can't touch this!)" she glanced at Runt and licked her lips, "(Well, you can…)"

"(Meep!)" Runt gulped while Mary fumed again.

Kliff stared at them in bewilderment. _Every frickin' time, they always do this. WHY?!_

Grinning broadly, Jackie stuffed the badge into his badge case, "That makes four!"

"You also get this," Kliff held out a CD-like object, "It's the TM for Rock Polish,"

"Score!" Jackie took the TM and put it into his backpack. "Thanks!" he felt a hand on his back, and looked up to see Hero.

"Well done, Jackie," Hero smiled as Monster walked up behind him, "You and Deceit were amazing,"

Monster crossed her arms, "Not bad. Your planning may need some work though," she smiled, "I look forward to seeing you compete in the league tournament,"

Jackie grinned, "You won't be seeing me there, because I plan on taking on the Elite Four!"

Her eyes widened, "Wow, really?" she sighed, "You're gonna get destroyed," she looked up, "But, you did win, so I've got a little gift to get ya." She ran out of the gym, "I'll meet you at the Route 5 exit, I just gotta find it!"

They stared after her.

Kliff shrugged and put his hand on Jackie's shoulder, "You did well, kid."

Jackie nodded, "Thanks, you really put us through the ropes,"

Kliff grinned, "You're a good kid, you know that?"

"That he does," Hero nodded as he grabbed Jackie by the arm and pulled him along, "But we have to hurry!"

"W-Why?!" Jackie spluttered as his Pokémon made a brisk run after them.

"Because," Hero answered, "We need to get to Gris Village, and then head over to Rojo Town!"

Kliff waved them off as they disappeared through the Gym doors, "Hmm? So, Hero's got a new protégé, eh? I remember when he used to go traveling around with Kite…"

**Afternoon (1:59 P.M.), Pardo Village**

Hero let go of Jackie as they approached the village's north exit to Route 5.

"Whew!" Jackie took several deep breaths, as did his Pokémon, who had caught up behind him. They had forgotten how fast a runner Hero could be.

He looked up at the blue-haired man, "Why are you in such a rush to leave?"

Hero paused, placing a hand on his right cheek, where the large x-shaped scar resided. His emerald eyes shimmered, "No reason,"

Jackie frowned, Hero was lying. He sighed. _Oh well, he'll tell me when he's ready._

"Hey! Hold up, guys!"

"Huh?" they turned around to find Monster running up to them, a strange object in her hands, with Saury and Sasha following behind her.

"Whew!" she panted as she came to a stop. "Here!" she presented the object to Jackie.

It was a cylindrical glass container that was small and compact, with a yellow lid on top, and a pillow-like blanket at the bottom on the inside.

Inside the case was a yellow-green egg.

"Uhh-uhh!" speechless, Jackie took the egg case from her hands, "Y-You mean?!"

Breathless, she nodded, "Ye-Yep! That there… heh… heh… is a Pokémon egg, specially bred by me, from Sasha and Saury," she gestured to her Pokémon behind her.

Hero's jaw dropped to the floor. _SHE GAVE HIM AN EGG?! ARCEUS DAMMIT! I WAS GONNA DO THAT!_

"(He'll do you well!)" Saury proudly held a hand to his chest, "(I'd expect nothing less from my own son!)"

Sasha shook her blushing head, "(Oh, stop it.)"

Jackie continued staring at the egg, "Y-You mean I can really have this?"

She nodded as Hero looked on in jealousy at having his idea stolen, "Yessiree! You helped us out a lot at the TV Broadcast Station by taking out those Galaxy Lords, and you beat Kliff, so I think you've more than earned it."

"Wow, thanks!" Jackie sat the egg case and his backpack on the ground. After relocating a few things from his backpack to his blue hoodie's pockets, he carefully placed the egg case into his backpack, then zipped it halfway up so that the case was still slightly exposed to the sun.

He gazed at it fondly, "I can't wait to add you to the family." He looked up to Monster, "So, do you have any idea when it'll hatch?"

She shrugged, "Dunno. Should be soon though," she grinned, "Real soon, like, in a few hours, a day at most,"

His eyes widened, "Really?!"

She nodded, "Yep,"

"Score!" Jackie cheered as his Pokémon gathered around the backpack, staring at the egg inside.

Sonja grinned as she stared, "(Yay! I get a new baby brother!)" she was starting to miss her brother, Boomer, but having a new brother to look after would do wonders to soothe her homesickness.

Mary and Deceit smiled at the egg, each thinking of the mother and father scenarios they could get into with Runt.

Runt gazed at the egg warmly. _I can have a little brother? One who won't try to push me around or beat me up over food? I like the sound of that! Besides, I'm damn near sick of being the only guy on this team!_

Jackie picked up the backpack, "Well, I guess we should head on out then. Come on, guys," he held out their Poké Balls and recalled them. He turned to Hero and Monster, "We should go now,"

Hero nodded, "That we should," he turned to Monster and placed a hand on her shoulder, "You take care of yourself, 'kay?"

She nodded, "You too."

"Well, let's head out!" Jackie turned and headed into Route 5, Hero running after him.

Sasha sighed as they disappeared from view, "(I hope our baby doesn't get into any trouble.)"

"(Hah!)" Saury snorted as he proudly placed his fist against his chest, "(We have nothing to worry about! He'll make us proud!)"

Sasha sighed again, "(I hope so…)"

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**And so another chapter ends, and a new arc is ready to begin.**

**I'm really excited about this next arc. I have a lot of things planned.**

**A couple of sub-plots will draw to a close, and a couple new ones will develop as new plot points pop up. **

***sweatdrops* Unfortunately, since my summary of what is supposed to happen next is rather vague, I'm going to need to work hard and carefully on this next arc, because it might just be the most important in terms of overall effect on the plot. Progress will probably be slow, since I'll need to carefully lay out the events that will happen.**

**Let's see if I can do it.**

**I don't think I can do it well, but I do have a habit of underestimating myself.**

**Oh well. You know the drill, please review and tell me your thoughts.**

**-RGGod, out!**


	48. Redundancy

_**Chapter Forty-Eight:**_

_**Redundancy**_

* * *

**Afternoon (2:14 P.M.), Route 5**

"Santa the Super Saiyan,  
had some very spiky hair,  
and if you ever saw him,  
you would even say he glows!"

"Would you stop singing that ridiculous song?!" Jackie snapped at his traveling companion as they leisurely walked along Route 5.

"But the ridiculous ones are the fun ones!" he wined.

Jackie sighed. _If he's ten years older than me, then why does he act like he's ten years younger than me?!_

Jackie glanced behind him at the egg in his backpack, and smiled. _Hopefully you'll be more mature._

Hero diverted his eyes to the path in front of him. _Okay, we haven't received much word from Gris Village in a while, so I'll need to investigate as we pass by. _He sighed. _After that, we can go to Rosa City, where-_

His thoughts were interrupted by Jackie nudging him, "Hey, Hero, what's that?"

He looked up. A few meters away a giant gray wall rose ten meters into the air and seemed to spread out for a kilometer in either direction.

"Ah," Hero let out a sigh of relief, "Those are the Paredes Walls, one of the wonders of the Okam region,"

"Wow," Jackie's eyes widened as he gazed around at the massive walls, "They're huge!"

Hero nodded as they approached, "They surround the entirety of Gris Village as well as the forest around it,"

"That's amazing," Jackie gasped, "Who built these things, and why?"

Hero sighed, "No one knows who built them, or why," _But I have a couple of suspicions… _"What we do know is that there are several gates around the walls that allow entrance to the village inside. They always have guards positioned outside the gates to allow or deny access to the village; great for keeping out drugs and tax collectors,"

"Halt!"

"Huh?" they turned to the gate they were approaching, which was made of a strong black metal.

Standing in front of it were two men, dressed in black suits and wearing sunglasses, standard government attire.

"You must turn away," the first suit informed them, "This area has been restricted,"

Jackie tilted his head in confusion, while Hero narrowed his eyes in suspicion, "Why?"

The second suit diverted his eyes, "It's classified,"

The first nodded, "Yes, official league orders. All access to Gris Village is denied. If you want to continue, you may travel along the walls' edge, but within the walls' limits is forbidden,"

Jackie's shoulders drooped, "What?! Really?!"

Hero's eyes narrowed further in suspicion as he walked up to the suits, "Tell me this: do you know who I am?"

The suits blinked through their sunglasses.

"No, should we?" the first suit answered.

"Uhh!" the second suit gulped and backed away.

His companion glanced at him surprise, "Huh? What's up with you?"

The second suit's hand visibly trembled as he pointed at Hero, "Didn't we hear about him at the briefing?"

The first suit blinked again and stared at Hero, "Uhh! We did!" he frantically raised his hand in an odd gesture and passed it over their faces, "This isn't the place you're looking for!"

The psychic suggestion had no effect on them: Jackie because he had forgotten to turn off the Darkforce bracelet after his battle with Cigar and Milky Way, and Hero because… well, I'll explain that eventually… *_foreshadowing_*…

While Jackie stared on in confusion, Hero's fist shot out, decking the unfortunate suit right in the nose.

"What the Hell, Hero?!" Jackie shouted in astonishment.

"SH*T!" the second suit cursed as he ran for the metal door, only for Hero to overtake and tackle him into it!

"I think we need some answers!" Hero grunted as he pulled the suit away from the door in a headlock.

"What the?" Jackie stared in confusion, his mind quickly registering why Hero would do something like this. Before Hero could bark the order, he pulled the first suit into a headlock of his own, "You must be Universals!"

"Craaaap!" the two suit cursed.

"Now, I think we deserve some answers as to why you guys are here," Hero informed the second guard as he frisked him with his free hand, confiscating his Poké Balls in an example that Jackie followed.

The second suit gulped, "We ain't tellin' you nothing!"

"Oh yeah?" Hero let go and pushed him to the floor, Jackie following suit.

The two suits scuttled backwards until they were left cowering under a tree, "We won't tell you anything!" the first suit growled.

Hero sighed, "Fine. I guess we'll have to do this the hard way,"

He knelt down in front of them, grinning sadistically, "Either you tell us what you're doing here, or I'll force you two to play 'Battle Politoeds'! And I won't let you stop playing until you win! Bwahahaha!" he laughed evilly at this ungodly torture.

The two suits and Jackie tilted their heads in confusion, "What's 'Battle Politoeds'?"

Hero facefaulted.

"I pity this generation, never getting to experience the classics firsthand like mine did," Hero sighed as he got up. He grabbed a Poké Ball from his white belt and tossed it into the air, "Oh well, I guess we'll have to do this the 'conventional way'," he said the last two words with blatant disappointment as the Poké Ball split open, releasing his Blaziken, Inferna.

"(Yeah! Finally, some screen time!)" Inferna cheered.

With a sigh of disinterest, Hero gave a new ultimatum, "Okay, you know the drill, either you tell us what you're doing here, or I'll let Inferna Sky Uppercut your balls,"

Inferna's eyes gleamed as she pounded her fists together, "(Score!)"

"MEEP!" the two suits huddled together in terror, babbling incoherently.

Jackie sweatdropped, "I think you went a little too far,"

"Yeah, yeah…" Hero turned around and pouted. _I know what I'm gonna do first thing when we get to Rojo Town…_

Inferna narrowed her eyes in boredom, disgust, and annoyance at the craven suits' incessant babbling and crying, "(Can I Sky Uppercut their nuts yet?)"

"NO!" Jackie shouted, understanding her due to the Whisperer's artificial psychic powers.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**And we'll find out more about this tomorrow (hopefully).**

**Sorry this came out so late. We had internet problems.**

**BTW, I watched the new Pokémon X and Y episode today, and I liked what I saw. I think it's off to a good start, and I like that they made a remix of the original "Gotta Catch'em All," for the opening. It really fits in well with the game's theme of bringing back old favorites in new (mega) forms!**


	49. Getting Information

_**Chapter Forty-Nine:**_

_**Getting Information**_

* * *

**Afternoon (2:23 P.M.), Route 5**

"So, what are you doing here?" Jackie asked the suits in a kind tone, for he was the good cop.

The first suit gulped, weighing the probable consequences of his actions. If he told them the truth, the Galaxy Lords would come and rape his mind; if he didn't tell them, he'd get a Sky Uppercut straight to the family jewels, courtesy of Inferna, who eyed him in anticipation.

He didn't need to say anything, for the second suit gave in to his self-preservation instincts and blurted out, "We're keeping _her_ inside!"

Hero looked up from his pouting, "_'Her'_? Who is _'her'?"_

The second suit clapped a hand over his mouth. _Crapcrapcrapcrapcrapcrap!_

The first stared at him in horror, "Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!"

Jackie tilted his head in confusion, "What are you guys talking about?"

"W-We can't tell you!" they stammered, "O-Or they-"

Hero cut them off, "If you're afraid of someone, don't worry. I'll take you into protective custody, just like I did with all the other grunts we captured."

Jackie raised an eyebrow. _I really need to ask about that…_

This seemed to calm the guards somewhat, "R-Really?"

Hero smiled, "Of course!"

The first suit swallowed nervously, "W-Well, okay then… if you put it like that…"

The second gulped, "I guess we could tell you,"

Hero nodded, "Yes, please explain,"

"Well," the first suit began, "It all started a few weeks ago, when the Grandmaster sent Supervisor Virgo out to Okam to bring him Victini for his collection of powerful Psychic-types…"

Jackie frowned, remembering something Virgo had said during their encounter back in Rosa City.

Hero nodded, "And then what happened?"

The second suit continued, "Short story short, he couldn't get to Victini because someone else had taken the boat there and there were already too many witnesses, thanks to another Team's operations. So Virgo just gave up and tried to bring something else back. Through what he called a struck of divine luck, he and his group managed to contain a lone semi-legendary who didn't have a trio…"

The first suit picked up where the second left off, "So he brought her back here..." his shoulders drooped, "…where she escaped," he sighed, "After chasing her all over Okam, we received our own struck of divine luck, and managed to corner her inside the boundaries of the Paredes Walls. You see, the only way in or out (besides flying, of course) is through these gates, which we have guarded at all times. They're near unbreakable, and very hard to get open, it usually takes a whole team to do it, so you can imagine that it would take a while for even a grounded semi-legendary. We could easily capture her before she could open them just a fraction. Seizing the chance, we established a temporary base of command here, where we continued trying to catch her while also using the downtime for some experimenting,"

Hero raised an eyebrow, "What kind of experimenting?"

The suits shrugged, "We don't know. We were just posted as sentries. We have no idea of what goes on in there besides what we've been briefed by our superior, Doctor Sirius,"

"Hmm?" Hero stroked his chin, "This sounds interesting," he looked down to the two suits, "I have a proposition for you guys,"

They looked up, "What do you mean?"

Hero smiled, "Would you mind being double-agents?"

The stared, open-mouthed and aghast, "W-What?!"

Hero crossed his arms, "Think about it, after everything you've told us, do you honestly expect your bosses to just let you off so easily? Are you really treated so well as members of Team Universal? Join us, and I can promise you a big reward for your troubles,"

The two suits turned to each other, contemplating their options. After a few moments, they turned back to them and nodded, "We're in!"

Jackie grinned, "Cool, we've convinced them to join the good side!"

Hero raised an eyebrow, "'We'?"

His shoulders drooped, "You know what I mean,"

"Good," Hero turned back to the suits, who had regained their composure, "First off, how long are your shifts?"

The first suit answered at once, "All day, without reliefs. The people on the inside bring us food and drink three times a day at 7:00 A.M., 12:00 noon, and 7:00 P.M. At night, we take turns sleeping,"

"I see," Hero stroked his chin. _That's a horribly inefficient system. _"That's good to know. Tell me, what are your names?" they opened their mouths to speak, but Hero quickly interrupted, "And not your codenames, but your **real** names,"

The first suit stood up, "My name is Daniel Kopa,"

The second got up as well, "You can call me Tom Lawyer,"

Hero smiled, he could already tell from their auras that they could be trusted, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Tom and Daniel,"

In the background, Inferna frowned, "(I demand more screen time in my next appearance, or I'll Sky Uppercut _your _balls!)"

Okay, okay, sheesh, I promise.

Jackie crossed his arms behind his head, "So, what happens now?"

"Hmm?" Hero continued stroking his chin until an idea came to him, "I know, how about you decide?"

Jackie blinked in surprise, "M-Me?"

Hero nodded, "Yeah. Let's see if you've learned anything from me,"

"Oh… uhh… okay," Jackie stroked his chin in thought as he considered their options. _We might as well head back to Pardo Village and tell everyone, gather an army, and storm the place, but… we don't really know what we're getting into here. What we do know is kind of vague, so we could wind up in a lot of trouble if we come unprepared._

He looked up at their expectant faces, "Okay, I've made up my mind," he pointed to Daniel and Tom, "you guys stay here, on guard, and don't tell anyone about what you saw. You'll be taking orders from us for a little while, but don't stop following your other orders from your bosses, unless they directly conflict with ours. We need you to let us inside so we can scout out the field, find out what we're up against, then come back later with reinforcements from Pardo Village. Sound like a plan?"

Hero blinked in surprise. _Wow, I taught him better than I thought._

He and the two suits nodded in agreement.

"Good!" Jackie grinned, "Now let's go inside!"

"YEAH!" his companions cheered.

They turned around to find the door already opened, courtesy of Inferna, "Wow,"

She frowned, "(You guys talk too much.)"

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Join us next time when Jackie and Hero infiltrate Gris Village!**

**Sorry that I didn't upload on Sunday, our internet went out, it's still out, and the only reason I'm able to post right now is because of this cord thingy. We should have internet later, though…**

**Also, I went back and added a scene to chapter 47. It's nothing much, but Jackie now has the TM for Rock Polish. I forgot to type that in when I wrote the chapter, sorry :3**

**I promise not to go back and add stuff too much, only small things every now and then when I forget something.**


	50. Interruptions

_**Chapter Fifty:**_

_**Interruptions**_

* * *

**Afternoon (2:40 P.M.), Paredes Forest**

Jackie, Hero, and Inferna wandered through the forest inside of the Paredes Walls, scouting around for information. The forest was eerily silent, save for the occasional sounds of wild Pokémon or the Universal scouting parties scurrying through the forest, never saying a word.

Jackie sighed as they walked into a clearing, "We haven't found out anything yet,"

Hero put a hand on his shoulder, "Don't worry, we'll get to the bottom of this eventually," he turned to his Blaziken, "Right, girl?"

Inferna nodded, "(Of course!)"

Jackie sighed once more, "Whatever," he leaned closer to Hero and whispered, "Hey, got any more stories to tell me?"

Hero blinked, "What kind of stories?"

Jackie shrugged, "Any kind. How about something funny? Or, like, something involving a girl?"

"Hmm?" Hero stroked his chin, "Well, there's the time I first saw my beloved Sabrina on TV. Or maybe the time I got married?"

Jackie blinked in surprise, as did Hero, once he realized what he had said, "You were married?!"

Hero flushed, "Forget about it! You didn't hear anything!"

This piqued Jackie's interest, "Who were you married to? Why?"

"Look, I was completely drunk at the time!" Hero looked down in shame, his face flushed ruby red, "Besides, if I told you, you'd probably never want to speak to me again,"

This did nothing to calm Jackie's raging interest, but he was cut off before he could say anything more, "(What are you guys talking about?)"

Jackie sighed, giving up on the questioning, for now, "Nothing,"

"(Hmph!)" Inferna huffed and crossed her arms.

"Whew!" Hero sighed. _Dodged a bullet on that one._

Inferna narrowed her eyes, "(You hear that?)"

Jackie blinked in surprise as the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps reached his ears, "Take cov-" he didn't get to finish as Inferna had grabbed both him and Hero in her arms and dashed under the cover of the surrounding bushes.

"What's happening?" Jackie whispered.

Hero swallowed nervously, "It sounds like someone's being chased,"

Just then, a four-legged figure limped into the clearing, causing Jackie to let out a silent gasp.

The Pokémon could have been called graceful, if not for the numerous wounds covering her body. At full height, she measured two meters, even taller than Inferna and matching Monster's Tyranitar, Sasha, in height.

She somewhat resembled an antelope in appearance. Save for her face, hind legs, and underside, which were cream-colored, she was primarily green. Her snout was pointed, with a black blaze running from her nose to the back of her head, out of the sides of which long horns that ended in dull, curved points emerged. Out of each side of her neck a pink-tipped leaf emerged, pointing backwards. Leafy tufts emerged from her shoulders, and on her back were five pointed tufts that formed a tail of sorts. Her lower legs resembled knee-high boots with pink highlights at the knees and ended in black hooves. A long scar trailed down her left hind leg, giving her a limp, while another, bleeding scar ran down her right flank. A third and final scar ran down her left eye, leaving her blind there.

Jackie quickly whipped out his Pokédex.

**Virizion, the Grassland Pokémon. Associated with the Swords of Justice, this Pokémon is legendary for fighting humans in order to protect its friends.**

"Hmm?" Hero frowned, "Virizion of the Unova Swords of Justice? She must be the semi-legendary Daniel and Tom told us about,"

Inferna gulped, "(How could those damned Universals do this to her?)"

No sooner had she said this then a group of five robed figures stepped into the clearing behind Virizion.

The leader of the group, bearing the golden eye-like markings of the supervisors on his hood, stepped forward, tossing a single Poké Ball up and down in his hand, "It's the end of the line, bitch," he grinned, having always wanted to say that.

The semi-legendary turned her bruised head towards him and snarled, her red eyes glaring daggers at them, "(B-Bastards!)" they had chased her throughout the forest, finally cornering her here after the scars they had inflicted on her earlier began to take their tolls.

Smiling smugly, the supervisor waved off his four associates, "I'll take care of it from here. After all, she can't go on much more thanks to all of those wounds we gave her,"

The four grunts nodded, "Yes, sir, Supervisor Lynx!"

"Good," Supervisor Lynx tossed out the Poké Ball, "Go, Kadabra!"

The ball split open, releasing a red arc of energy that materialized into the form of a bipedal, fox-like creature holding a spoon, "(Greetings.)"

Lynx pointed to Virizion, "Slam her with Psychic. Keep it up until she passes out, but don't go overboard and kill her, we do need her alive after all,"

The Kadabra nodded as his eyes began glowing, "(Understood.)" he raised his right, spoon-free hand, causing Virizion to glow in a purple light and be telekinetically lifted into the air.

"(Hrr!)" Virizion kicked out weakly with her legs, but she was already incredibly weakened from their previous encounters, and could do nothing as the Kadabra brought his hand down sharply, causing her to slam into the ground hard, "(GAAH!)"

Smiling coldly, the Kadabra raised his hand again, bringing her back into the air, only to lower it, slamming her back into the ground hard in a process he began to repeat.

Jackie stared at the scene, stunned at this brutality. _H-How can they do this? _ He gritted his teeth. _Those bastards!_

Inferna tensed her muscles. _I'll make them pay for this!_

Hero bit his lip. _These scum give Psychics a bad name. _

He and Inferna made a movement out of the bushes, but were outrun by Jackie, who ran straight in-between Virizion and the Kadabra, arms outspread, "STOP IT!"

The Kadabra blinked in surprise, causing the now-unconscious Virizion to fall back to the ground.

Lynx stared at the boy in shock, "W-What?! How did you get in here? This is a restricted area!"

Jackie glared at them, rage in his eyes as he pulled out a Poké Ball and threw it at the Kadabra, "Go, go, Sonja!"

"(Gah!)" the Kadabra cried out and fell backwards onto his posterior as the ball struck his nose.

The ball bounced back, split open, and released a red arc of energy that materialized into the bat-dragon, "(Awww right!)""

The supervisor was taken aback by the sudden appearance of the boy. _Where the f*ck did he come from?! All the gates wer- _

His thoughts were interrupted as Jackie barked out an order, "Sonja, Dragon Breath, now!"

"(Right!)" she nodded and let loose a blast of breath that knocked the hapless Kadabra several feet away.

Lynx shook his head. _Dammit! I need to focus! _"Kadabra, get back up!"

"(Yes, sir!)" the Kadabra stood up with a grunt.

The Supervisor bared his fist, "Now, u-"

Jackie, his eyes narrowed into slits, beat him to the punch, "Sonja, end this with Thief!"

"(Awww right!)" Sonja streaked through the air and tackled him, sending the Kadabra flying backwards through the air at his trainer!

_No fair! I didn't get to finish calling out my at- _Lynx was interrupted yet again as his Kadabra crashed into him, sending them both flying backwards until they collided with two more grunts.

"SH*T!" the remaining two guards swore at the sight of their defeated comrades before turning to look back at Jackie.

He gave them a hate-filled death glare, "So, which one of you motherf*ckers is next?"

The two grunts gulped, then made a break for it.

They had not gotten five feet before they were rendered unconscious by a quick chop to the neck from Inferna, "(Sweet nightmares, bastards.)"

Hero stepped out of the bushes and surveyed the clearing, "Looks like they're all unconscious," he turned to Jackie and grinned, "Damn, you sure opened a whole can of whoopass on those guys!"

Jackie didn't answer. He walked over to where Virizion had passed out and tried to move her away from the clearing.

Struggling to move her, he called over to Hero and Inferna, "Hey! Mind helpin'?!"

They blinked in surprise at his brusque tone, before running over to help.

Sonja was left staring at the Kadabra in shock and surprise. _I-I won? I-I actually won?! It's been so long! I was beginning to think I was too weak to actually win anything!_

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**And so the identity of the legendary has been revealed!**

**Something tells me that you might feel a little underwhelmed.**

**Oh well. I made sure to be completely fair and random in my choice of legendary. I wrote down the names of all the semi-legendaries (those that are part of trios and duos but aren't version mascots), put them in a small bag, drew six at random, assigned each one to a number on a die, and rolled the die to decide which one should be in my story.**

**Well, the one who won the first dice roll was Suicune, but Jackie already had three Pokémon from Johto (if you count the egg), so I decided to roll again, and got Virizion. Oh well.**

**Also, we've been exposed to some of Sonja's insecurities about being a faux action girl. New sub plot, ahoy!**

**I'm sorry this chapter came out so late, my mom bought a new wii from a friend, and she and my stepdad wanted me to… do ambiguously legal things to it.**

**On a side note, for the past two weeks I've had the hiccups nonstop. I've come to believe that it's either A) a terminal illness, or B) all in my head.**

**-RGGod, out!**


	51. Understanding

_**Chapter Fifty-One:**_

_**Understanding**_

* * *

**Afternoon (3:00 P.M.), Paredes Forest**

"Whew!" Jackie sighed as he piled more grass and leaves into the makeshift bed they had prepared for Virizion, "She should come to soon,"

"(That she should!)" Sonja parroted from her perch on his shoulder.

"Finished tying those guys up," Hero called over as he walked into their resting place, which was a small clearing beside a pond, surrounded on all sides by a thick cover of trees.

Jackie let loose another sigh, "Ah, that's good to hear," he walked over to the pond and scooped up some water, then walked back to Virizion and gently poured it on her, "If TV hasn't been lying to me, this should work,"

And it did.

She shifted, her right eye slowly opening as she regained consciousness.

"(How's it goin'?)" Inferna walked in, holding a pile of various berries that she had gathered for the weakened Virizion.

"She's waking up!" Jackie answered excitedly.

_What's going on? _Her head ached, and her body felt numb, but she was slowly regaining her senses. _Where am… I? Have I been captured again? _Her eye was halfway open when she caught sight of Jackie, staring down at her expectantly. _A HUMAN! _Her eye snapped open, and she quickly got to her feet, knocking Jackie off of his own.

"Wow!" Jackie held his hands out, "Calm down!"

She glared at him with her right eye, for her scarred left eye was blind, her teeth bared, "(Get away from me, human!)"

"Look! I just want to help you!" Jackie tried to soothe her as Hero and Inferna watched from the sidelines.

She narrowed her eye in confusion, "(What?)"

"I just want to help you!" Jackie repeated.

"(That he does!)" Sonja nodded.

"(W-What?!)" Virizion gasped and slowly backed away, staggering on her weak legs, "(D-Did you understand me? H-How is that possible?)" her eye narrowed in suspicion, "(Are you one of those damned psychics?!)"

"N-No!" Jackie answered, beginning to cower under her murderous gaze, "I just have this thing on," he pointed to the Whisperer headset, "It gives me artificial psychic powers that let me understand what Pokémon are saying!"

She blinked in confusion, "(What?)"

He grinned sheepishly, "Yeah, I know,"

She sighed, "(So you're not one of those Universals, that's good to know.)"

"(Yeah, we're not with those bastards!)" Sonja nodded enthusiastically, "(We saved you from a group of them, then brought you here to heal!)"

She raised an eyebrow as she stretched her limbs, feeling her strength returning, "(Really?)"

Hero nodded, "(Yesiree! Well, Jackie did all the work, really.)"

Virizion turned around and scrutinized him, "(Hmm?)"

"Hey, have a bite of this, it'll make you feel better," Jackie called over as he took a berry from Inferna's pile and offered it to the semi-legendary.

She made a thin smile, "(Ah, a Sitrus Berry, I've been needing one of these for a while now.)" she knelt down and bit into it, savoring its flavor and healing powers. When she had finished eating, she stood back up and sighed, "(Ah, I feel refreshed now.)"

Jackie smiled, "That's good to hear!"

She smiled back; she was beginning to like this boy.

"So," Jackie began, "Can you tell us anything about yourself? Your story?" he asked her, already knowing some of the details.

She sighed, "(I lived by myself, wandering through Unova on my own, for I did not have a trio like my sister in Pinwheel Forest. My life was free, until one day I strayed too close to Castelia City, where I had and unfortunate run-in with those Universals.)"

Jackie gritted his teeth. _Virgo!_

Virizion flushed in embarrassment, "(I still can't believe they managed to capture me… but they did, and I was transported here, where I managed to escape.)" she sighed again, "(They chased me for days, with never a moment's rest. Eventually, they managed to corner me here.)" she looked up, her eye shown with regret, "(Just how long have I been here? Days, weeks, months? I don't know.)"

Jackie looked down, rage building in his fists. _How could they do this to her?! I'll make them pay! _He paused on that thought. _But, we still need to find out what they're doing here. _A new thought crossed his mind, a bold thought. _Well, that's just crazy enough to work!_

Jackie looked up to Hero and Inferna, "Hey, can you guys do me a favor?"

Hero raised an eyebrow, "Depends, what do you want us to do?"

He smiled, "I want you two to get Virizion out of here, then go back to Pardo Village and gather as many people as you can so we can storm this place,"

Hero narrowed his eyes, "Getting her out of here I can understand, but getting an army before we know what we're getting into? That defeats the purpose of scouting around for information,"

Jackie sighed, "I know," his eyes glimmered, "That's why I'm gonna stay here!"

His four companions gaped at him in shock, "WHAT?!"

"I'm gonna stay here and scout around," Jackie reiterated, "All I need is a way to communicate with you, and we can gather information while preparing the army!"

Virizion's good eye widened. _He'd stay behind while we escaped?! I don't know whether that's extremely brave or extremely foolish!_

Hero sighed. _I knew this day would come. He's getting more and more independent of me. _He made the thinnest of smiles. _Wow, this takes me way back._

"Okay, then," Hero searched through the many pockets of his baggy, black cargo pants. Eventually he pulled out two black, phone-like devices, one of which he handed to Jackie, "Here, take a handheld transceiver,"

"Huh?" Jackie inspected the walkie-talkie. It felt strong and durable; it was clearly very well made.

"That'll let us keep in touch," Hero replied, "You know how to use one, right?" Jackie nodded, "Good!" He turned to Virizion and smiled, "Now, let's get you out of here."

"Hold on!" Jackie interrupted him, "If you had these, why didn't you let me use them any of those times we were separated before?"

Hero sighed, "Two reasons. One, I was never this far apart from you before, and I knew that in all of those previous separations, the moment I sensed that you were truly in trouble, with no way out, I could easily rush in to save you. And two, you've never been this alone before. Save for your Pokémon, you're all alone this time,"

Jackie blinked in surprise, "Really?"

"Yes," Hero nodded, "So be careful, 'kay?"

Jackie nodded back, "Of course I will!"

"Good," Hero smiled. He turned to Virizion and Inferna, "Come on guys, let's get out of here. The exit should be that way,"

As Hero led the way out, Virizion walked back to Jackie and bent down so that her head was touching his own, "(Listen, I need you to promise me that you'll be careful. You'll be in constant danger, for there are Universals everywhere. This is their base after all. So, do me a favor, and don't get yourself killed.)"

He swallowed nervously as her eye stared into his own, "Don't worry, I promise! I'll find out what they're doing here, and then we'll put a stop to it!"

She smiled as she pulled away, "(Thank you, Jackie.)" she followed Hero and Inferna out of the forest, "(You're a good kid.)"

"I'll see you later!" Jackie waved goodbye, "And then we'll help you get home!"

Virizion sighed as she walked behind her liberators. _Hmm? I was beginning to lose my faith in humanity, and now this happens? That boy has the spirit of a true hero. _She looked ahead at Hero. _And I'm getting the same feeling from this man. Humans aren't all bad. I look forward to meeting you again, Jackie…_

After they had vanished from sight, Jackie looked down at the walkie-talkie in his hand, "Well, let's go. It's time to get this solo mission on the road!"

Sonja swallowed nervously from her perch on his shoulder, "(Are you sure about this, Jackie?)"

He nodded, "(Yeah, I am…)"


	52. Solo Mission

_**Chapter Fifty-Two:**_

_**Solo Mission**_

* * *

**Afternoon (3:35 P.M.), Paredes Forest**

Jackie sneaked through the forest, carefully following a Universal scouting party back to Gris Village. He had the Darkforce bracelet on at all times to conceal his presence from the Psychics entirely. _I have to be careful, Hero's not here to save me, and I'm all alone, save for my Pokémon, which I have recalled for stealth reasons. _He frowned. _They probably know that something's wrong, either from not seeing Virizion or finding their tied-up comrades. _

It took several minutes, but the group he was tailing eventually found their way back to Gris Village.

Jackie gulped as he surveyed the village.

The dark purple cloaks were everywhere, their Universal wearers either scurrying about or standing guard.

"Gaah! Where is she?!" a man in a white cloak, assumedly their leader, screamed.

Jackie focused on the man. His hair was bright yellow, with thick, curved, orange hair spikes jutting out backwards from the top and sides. _What's with the Sun-do? It looks so… unnatural… _The boy with green, Sandslash-quill hair thought to himself.

The Sun-head facepalmed, letting out a deep groan, "Uuuuuugh, oh well." He straightened up, "We might as well begin today's testing. Who know? We might have actually fixed it this time,"

Jackie blinked in surprise. _Testing? What are they testing?_

At this point a group of Universals emerged from a building, two prisoners in tow: one human, the other a Snubbull.

Sun-head snapped his fingers, "Prepare the Enslavement Rings!"

"Aye, aye, Doctor Sirius!" one of the grunts produced two red collar-like objects. He and another grunt then pulled the rings open, revealing them to be shackles.

Sirius's eyes flashed as he pulled out another red ring and strapped it around his left wrist, "Okay, chain them!"

"Yes, sir!" the two grunts obeyed and walked towards their captives.

Jackie gulped as he watched on in horror.

The two captives struggled and thrashed around against the restraining grunts, but despite their attempts and their screaming, they found no release or mercy, and the Enslavement Rings were snapped around their necks.

Their struggles ceased immediately; their eyes grew dull and blank, devoid of life and will.

Doctor Sirius snapped his fingers, "Let them go,"

The grunts did as they were told and backed away.

"Now," Sirius licked his lips, "Let's test this out," He looked to the man. _Bow down._

The man did as he was telekinetically bid and dropped to his knees, bowing down to the scientist.

There were murmurs of amazement from the gathered grunts as Sirius shifted his attention to the Snubbull._ Use Dig; emerge two feet in front of me._

The bipedal bulldog dug at the ground furiously, disappearing into a tunnel in mere seconds.

The ground in front of him shifted, and the Snubbull popped out.

Sirius smirk widened, "Yes! Yes! YESSSSSSSSSSS!" he cheered, the grunts joining with him, "After all these weeks, we've finally perfected it!"

Jackie narrowed his eyes in rage. _Those monsters! What did they do to them?_

"Ah, this calls for a celebration!" Sirius announced after he unstrapped the red bracelet and had the prisoners (sans Enslavement Rings) returned to the prison, "Cancer, Puppis, break out the beers! Let's get crunked!"

"WOOHOO!" the robed men and women cheered as the two supervisors went into the storage shed to bring out the alcoholic beverages as several other grunts prepared food.

Jackie blinked, his horror over the last scene quickly being replaced by confusion at this new one. _Just like that? They're having a barbeque? Why?! _He narrowed his eyes, focusing on the doctor-who-was-actually-a-scientist-but-gets-called-a-doctor-anyway. _I need to follow him, and then I can find some answers!_

Doing so, he sneaked around quietly, keeping tabs on the doctor/scientist as he made his rounds through the drunken hordes of the Universals.

Jackie frowned. _Hmm? He isn't drinking; he's smart enough to keep his inhibitions up at all times. Dammit. That'll make this a lot harder than I want it to be._

Sirius eventually stopped in front of a single-floor building several times larger than the average houses surrounding it. In his hands he held a suitcase containing the Enslavement Rings. He looked at it fondly, "After all this time, we've finally completed them," he frowned, "Hmm? We'll still need to do a bit of testing, but they should be ready by the end of the week."

He smiled, "I sure learned a lot from my internship with Team Galactic!" chuckling, he opened the door and walked inside, "Grandmaster Andromeda… I'll make him proud of me!"

Jackie grinned. _That must be his lab! _He looked down at the Handheld Transceiver held firmly in his hands. _If I go in there… there's no telling what kind of information I could get to Hero… I just need a few minutes…_

His thoughts were interrupted as the door opened and Sirius stepped out, sighing, "Now that that's taken care of…" he looked around, "What should I do?"

"You *hic* can drink with me!" a female grunt wrapped her arm around his shoulder, in her other hand she held a beer bottle, which she eagerly took a swig of before continuing, "Come on, *hic* drink!"

Sirius glared at her disdainfully as he removed her arm from his shoulder. His nose wrinkled in disgust; her breath reeked of alcohol. He didn't drink himself, and he only suggested it to the grunts to keep them happy. He sighed, "I'm afraid I must decline. I think I'll scout around, making sure everything is secure for now," with that he left the women, who looked sullen for a moment, then threw her beer bottle on the floor, called him a bitch, and walked off.

Jackie's eyes glimmered. _Thank you, Fate! If you weren't an ideological construct, I'd kiss you! _He quickly slid over and opened the door.

_This is it! _He thought excitedly as he walked inside.

_I'll finally get some answers on what Team Universal's up to!_

_I wonder, just what do they want?_

_Well, let's find out!_

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Whew! I finally finished this chapter! I've been working on it all week.**

**Wow! Sorry this took so long. Also, sorry that I only uploaded one chapter last weekend, I had my cousin over. I have him over this weekend too, but I'll try to type more between playing Pokémon Y (with the release of the Poké Bank, I've tried to move away from being what I've always been, a simple collector of all the Pokémon, to actually playing online competitively in the metagame, wish me luck!) and playing card games with my cousin. Speaking of which, new Cyber Dragon Structure Deck! Finally! I've always wanted to run one of those! Yes!**

***cough* *cough* sorry, getting a little off topic. I am getting ideas for a Yu-Gi-Oh! story after this one, though.**

**Oh well. Interesting thing happened to me today: my school bus caught on fire on the way home… *_* … weird, huh?**

**I nearly died... on the walk home. Seriously, my feet were killing me when I got home. You try walking home in a leather jacket with two full backpacks.**

***shrugs* Oh well. I'm excited about what's coming up next: some major plot-points, character-building (I think), all happening in the next one or two chapters. Can you feel the excitement?!**

**I can. And with that, I leave you with this piece of meaningless trivia:**

**Do you remember the GS Ball in the anime? You know it, you hate it. Truth be told, it was originally supposed to hold a Celebi that was going to travel around with Ash and the gang, much like the Meloetta in the Black and White anime. However, with the release of the movie: Pokémon 4Ever – Celebi: Voice of the Forest, this entire plotline was deemed redundant and scrapped. So don't blame the GS Ball for its infamy, blame the movie.**

**Happy Valentine's Day!**

**-RGGod out!**


	53. Don't Read the Diary!

_**Chapter Fifty-Three:**_

_**Don't Read the Diary!**_

* * *

**Afternoon (3:59 P.M.), Doctor Sirius's Lab**

Jackie blinked in stunned silence as he gazed around the building's interior.

The massive room was lined with machines of all kinds and sizes, the floor littered with a carpet of blueprints, the walls blackened by a covering of ink, showing literal thousands of calculations.

He gulped as scanned the room, "Wow, he's sure been busy in here," he grimaced. _I'll never be able to search through this mess… at least, not by myself that is. _Reaching into his blue hoodie's pockets, he pulled out four Poké Balls and tossed them out, "Go, go, everyone!"

The balls split open, releasing their occupants, who opened their mouths to say their respective intros, only to be silenced by Jackie, "Shh! We're on a stealth mission here, so we need to be silent! Whispering only!"

They blinked in surprise, then nodded.

Runt crossed his arms, "(So, what's our mission objective?)"

Jackie briefed them, "We're investigating a Team Universal base. Right now we're in their leader's base, and we need to find some information about them and what they're doing,"

"(I see!)" Mary nodded, "(You want us to help you find stuff!)"

Jackie smiled and nodded back, "Yep! Exactly!"

"Uhh…" Deceit fidgeted nervously, "One problem…"

Jackie blinked in surprise, "What?"

She gazed around at the multitude of calculations and blueprints, "(I can't read.)"

Runt's eyes went white in realization, "(I can't read either.)"

"(I can!)"

They turned to the speaker: Mary.

"You can read?!"

She nodded with a proud smile, "(Yep! I am, er, was, a prize-winning Mareep. I was trained to do all kinds of things!)"

Jackie sighed in relief, "Well, that's a plus for us." He turned to Sonja, "Hey, can you read too? Do you know the alphabet?"

The Noibat tilted her head in confusion, "(Alphabet? What's that taste like?)"

He sweatdropped. _Should've known. _He shook his head, "Whatever. I just need you to look around. Let me know if you find anything interesting, 'kay?"

They nodded, "(Right!)"

With that, they split up, searching their way to opposite corners of the room.

Mary studied the walls in her corner, "(Ooh! Chemical equations! My favorite!)" she frowned, "(This isn't right: hydrogen is a diatomic molecule, it should never be left as a single H!)"

Sonja's vision grew fuzzy as she gazed at the various blueprints in her corner, "(Too many letters…)"

Runt narrowed his eyes in frustration as he sorted through the various documents, "(Bunch of squiggles, bunch of squiggles, GAAH!)" his shoulders drooped as he let out a sigh. _I don't understand any of this! _He cast a glance at Mary. _Maybe I can get her to teach me how to read, that would be nice. _He sighed again, remembering the problem they still had. _I really need to do something about that._

Deceit pretended to search through the papers, but she had other thoughts on her mind. _What am I gonna do about Runt? No matter how much I try to seduce him, he keeps resisting. _She glanced over at Mary. _It doesn't help that Mary keeps getting in my way. I'm beginning to get tired of fighting over him. _She and Mary were getting closer, becoming friends, but they still argued over Runt.

_Hmm? _She thought back to what Sonja had told them back on the S.S. Viajero. _Share him, eh? Hmm? I don't know. Could we? I mean, it's not too uncommon. After all, Daddy wasn't exactly monogamous… _

Jackie made his way to the far end of the room, where a single large white desk was set against the wall. On the desk were several blueprints, papers, journals, and photos.

He picked up a random journal and flipped through it, eventually coming to a journal entry that caught his eye.

It read:

_Much advancement has been made in our work on the Enslavement Rings. Of course, none of this could have been done without my expertise. _

_The Grandmaster made a wise decision in recruiting me, although most of my knowledge on the subject came from my internship with Team Galactic. I had a lot of fun working under Commander Charon, fool that he was. _

_While experimenting on the Lake Trio to build the Red Chain, I came into contact with Azelf, the bringer of willpower. I was startled by their abilities to take away memories, emotion and willpower, but Azelf's ability was the one that intrigued me the most. _

_Mind-control is an ability most psychics crave the most, and in truth, even weaker psychics are actually capable of performing this technique. But in truth, the psychic half of mind-control is just getting into your target's head, the real challenge is in the second half: dominating your target's will. This is an extremely difficult task for even the most powerful of psychics, as even the slightest resistance could have catastrophic consequences. _

_But here's where Azelf's ability comes into play: if the target's willpower is taken away, they become nothing more than a soulless puppet, having all of the powers of their mind and body, but not the spirit to make a single movement. These soulless hosts can be controlled with ease and without worry of any resistance of any kind. _

_Enamored by this theory, I began my own separate research into this study at once as a side project to my internship with Team Galactic. Progress was slow, but I was making advancements in replicating Azelf's power. Unfortunately, before I was able to make any major headway in my research, Team Galactic had been disbanded. Cyrus, the damned traitor, had abandoned us, and while Charon tried to keep us together, it soon became clear that he was no leader. __Dejected, I returned to my home town in Okam. _

_Not letting this get to me, I continued my research, but sadly, I was extremely low on funds. Near ready to give up, I was approached by Grandmaster Andromeda, who made me an offer I couldn't refuse. _

_Not only would I be allowed to keep up my research, but I'd also get my greatest desire granted. However, I would have to pull a double shift, working on the Enslavement Rings as well as Cerebro, Team Universal's other project. Cerebro will increase its user's psychic abilities greatly, allowing them to do things they never could before as well as expanding the range of their powers. _

_It will be difficult, but I'll do it, to advance my research, as well as to obtain my greatest desire. Haha! Revenge will be mine!_

The entry ended there.

Jackie frowned. _Wow, that sounds serious. _He turned on the handheld transceiver and held it to his ear, "Hero, come in. This is Jackie. How' it goin'? Over."

It took a moment, but the reply came in loud and clear, "JACKIE! I've been so worried! Are you okay?!"

Jackie grinned, "Yeah, I'm okay. So, how are you?"

Hero responded enthusiastically, "All good over here. We're on our way, with Kliff, Monster, and a whole group of other trainers in tow!"

His grin widened, "Really?! That's awesome! Hey, what about Virizion?"

"Yeah, about that… let's just say that she's still a little pissed over Team Universal, and she's on her way back with us right now, ready to kick some ass!"

"Wow! I can't wait to see you again! By the way, I've got something to-to…" he trailed off as something on the desk caught his eye.

"Something to what?" Hero asked in confusion.

Jackie lifted the picture frame and examined it, "No way! This picture… it's… it's… Professor Cherry!"

"What?!" Hero gasped, "What do you-"

"Huh?!" Jackie looked up in surprise.

The handheld transceiver was lifted into the air, surrounded by purple energy, "Hello?! HELLO!? JACKIE, WHAT'S GO-" Hero's voice was cut off as the energy field surrounding the HT compressed, crushing the device into dust.

A voice from behind them caused Jackie and his Pokémon to freeze in their tracks.

"My, my, I was looking for something to do, and look what I found here?"


	54. The Doctor! Part 1

_**Chapter Fifty-Four:**_

_**The Doctor! Part 1**_

* * *

**Afternoon (4:14 P.M.), Doctor Sirius's Lab**

Startled by the voice, they turned around to find Doctor Sirius standing in front of the entrance.

Jackie swallowed nervously as his Pokémon retreated to his side. _Dammit! We were found out!_

The doctor glared at him disdainfully, "So we have some intruders? Hmm? Okay, then, we can do this the easy way or the hard way, your pick," he produced a Poké Ball from his lab coat/cloak.

_This must be the boy with the Darkforce and Whisperer that I've been hearing about. Since he's unaffected by psychic powers, I guess we'll have to settle this with a Pokémon battle. _He looked around at his various machines and blueprints. _I'll have to do this carefully so that we don't break anything, which means I can't call the grunts to help._

Jackie narrowed his eyes as he held out a Poké Ball, "You're on! Deceit, you go first!"

"(Bring it!)" she nodded as the others were recalled.

"Very well," Sirius smiled as he tossed out his own Poké Ball, "Get'em, Sigilyph!"

The ball split open, releasing a red arc of energy that materialized into the form of a spherical Pokémon possessing two cyan eyes on the front, and a third on a black appendage coming out of its head. It had a pair of wings and a tail that are yellow with blue and red stripes at the ends of the "feathers". Out of the sides of its body were two black, three-pronged appendages, with two smaller spikes emerging below them, "(A new opponent?)"

Jackie glared at the doctor-who-was-actually-a-scientist, "Hey, mind if I ask you a question before we throw-down?"

Sirius shrugged, "Sure, why not? After all, you're going to die here anyway,"

Jackie gulped, but still posed his question, "What is your connection to Professor Cherry?"

The scientist froze, "W-What?!" his eyes narrowed in fury, "You know? YOU KNOW?! I'LL KILL YOU!" he pointed at Jackie, "SIGILYPH, SHADOW BALL!"

The avianoid wordlessly obeyed, forming a blob of darkness that it threw at Jackie!

"OH SH*T!" Jackie braced himself by shielding his face with his arms, but he needn't have done so as Deceit came to the rescue!

"(What's your problem?!)" she struck the ball with her Iron Head, sending it back to its owner, who, due to its typing, okay-but-not-great special defense, and being rather underleveled, was instantly knocked out for an ironic one-hit KO by its own attack.

"Arceus dammit!" a vein bulged on Sirius's forehead as he recalled his OHKOed Pokémon.

Jackie glared at him in shock and disgust, "What the hell?! You just tried to kill me!"

The doctor glared at him disdainfully, "I already told you that I would,"

"But still!" Jackie insisted. _Deceit was right, what is his problem?!_

The doctor said nothing as he drew his next Poké Ball and tossed it out.

The ball split open, releasing a red arc of energy that materialized into the form of a bipedal, yellow and black pig Pokémon.

Jackie scrutinized the creature, "That's a shiny Grumpig!"

"Indeed," the scientist answered dully, "Be prepared, because unlike my Sigilyph, this girl's properly leveled!"

Jackie smirked, "Bring it! Deceit, use Iron Head!"

"(You're going down!)" the large Mawile rushed headfirst at the Grumpig with her steel-hard head.

Doctor Sirius, now much calmer from his earlier careless rage, gave a telepathic order to his Pokémon. _Dodge her, then strike with a Psychic!_

The shiny Grumpig grinned as she sidestepped Deceit.

_Damn! She's faster than I thought! _Deceit grimaced as she skidded to a stop, but then grunted in pain as the Grumpig telepathically assaulted her mind, "GAH!"

Jackie bared his fist as he called his next order, "Break free and hit her with Bite! It'll be super-effective!"

_Yeah! _Deceit gritted her teeth and shook her head furiously to shake off the psychic attack, then turned to charge at the Grumpig, "(You're going down now, bitch!)"

Sirius grinned. _Ah, just as I was expecting. Are you done charging yet?_

_Yes. _Came the shiny Grumpig's mental reply.

Sirius's grin widened. _Perfect. Wait until her fangs are bared, then strike for an instant knockout._

"(Hiya!)" Deceit was mere feet away from the Grumpig when she spun around, whipping out her jaw-like horns.

Which was just what the Grumpig was expecting as she unleashed an orangish-brown ball of energy point-blank to the back of Deceit's head!

"GYAAAH!" the Mawile shrieked as the Focus Blast sent her on a face-first collision course with one of Doctor Sirius's many machines.

She crashed into the cold, hard steel with a sickening thud.

Her limp, unconscious body slowly fell into a heap on the floor.

"DECEIT!" Jackie called out in worry as he recalled her.

Sirius sighed in relief. _Thank Arceus she didn't break it!_

*crack*

The sound reverberated through the room, and the machine crumbled into dust.

Sirius turned to glare at Jackie. _I'm gonna f*cking murder that kid._

Jackie tossed out his next Poké Ball, "Go, go, Mary! Let's avenge Deceit!"

The ball split open, releasing the Flaaffy in a red arc of energy, "(It's go time!)" she bleated as she stared down the yellow pig, "(Ah'm gonna make you pay for what you did to mah friend!)"

"(Hah!)" the grumping snorted, "(Bring it!)"

Jackie glared at the doctor, "Now, let me ask you again, what's with the picture of Professor Cherry?"

Sirius frowned, "Why should I tell you?!" his expression relaxed as he took a moment to calm himself, "All you need to know is that he'll soon suffer through my revenge!"

Jackie blinked in confusion, "Revenge? He's the one you want revenge on? Why?!"

Sirius averted his gaze, "I'm not telling you,"

"Why not?!" Jackie snarled.

Sirius glared back at him, his eyes narrowed into slits, "It's a personal matter that is none of your concern!"

"Come on!" Jackie yelled, "What could Professor Cherry have possibly done to you that was so bad it made you evil?!"

Doctor Sirius held a hand to his chest, and spoke out in a strangled sob, "He broke my heart..."


	55. The Doctor! Part 2

_**Chapter Fifty-Five:**_

_**The Doctor! Part 2**_

* * *

**Afternoon (4:21 P.M.), Doctor Sirius's Lab**

Jackie's expression went blank, "Wut?"

Sirius took a deep breath before looking back at Jackie, "You heard me,"

"Ooookay," he slowly nodded, "You're saying that Professor Cherry broke your heart… please, explain,"

The scientist sighed before continuing, "Very well, it all started many years ago. I was a gifted intellectual, and I had always been interested in the field of Pokémon research. So as soon as I got out of high school, I decided to find other Pokémon researchers to work with. Eventually, I joined Okam's very own Professor Cherry in his Pokémon research by becoming his assistant. I soon became enamored by him: his handsome visage, great intellect, wonderful personality… and that luxurious pink hair!" he shivered, "We worked together, making several great discoveries and breakthroughs in our studies on Pokémon, becoming close friends, but then… it happened…"

Jackie blinked in confusion, "What? What happened?"

Sirius's eyes grew cold as he threw his fist to the side, "WHAT DO YOU THINK?!" another vein bulged on his forehead as he ranted, "I CONFESSED MY FEELINGS, I TOLD HIM THAT I LOVED HIM, AND HE REJECTED ME!" he took several deep breaths to steady himself, "We never spoke again after that. So, dejected and heartbroken, I decided to study abroad, eventually settling on a college in Sinnoh, where I took an internship that brought me to a whole new world of knowledge, but, in the end, that didn't exactly turn out very well, and I soon returned home to Okam, where I joined Team Universal after accepting a glorious proposal from Grandmaster Andromeda, bless his soul."

Jackie, having never experienced love before, somewhat insensitively replied, "So? You got rejected, that happens to a lot of people, but there's a still lot of fish in the sea, why didn't you just go and try to find someone else?"

Sirius's eyes narrowed in rage, "Find someone else?! WHY YOU! GRAAH!" he stamped his foot on the ground repeatedly in anger, "Do you have any idea how I felt? Do you know nothing of the pain of heartbreak or the humiliation of rejection?!"

Jackie shook his head earnestly, "Nope, not a thing. I've never had a girlfriend, and I've never ever been in love before."

He blinked in surprise. _Wow! I should really get a girlfriend, maybe after I finish my journey. _His shoulders drooped. _But I don't know any girls around my age in this region. _He blinked again. _Hey, I could always go for Hazel! She's nice and cute. Rather flat though, of course small size does have its benefits… _

_Then again, it is rather early, and I haven't seen her in a bit, so I should probably keep my options open, after all, there are still tons of fish left in the sea to meet and get acquainted with. That reminds me, I wonder how Inu Endo is doing? I haven't seen him in a while. I hope he's alright. _

He blinked a third time as he remembered something._ Hey, wasn't I doing something? It was something really important, but what was it? Hmm?_

"HELLO?!"

"Huh?" Jackie blinked as he focused back on Doctor Sirius, "What?"

A third vein bulged on Sirius's forehead as he flew into another bout of rage, "WERE YOU EVEN LISTENING TO ME?!"

"No," Jackie shook his head apologetically, "Sorry, I zoned out there for a minute. It happens,"

Sirius groaned and face-palmed so hard that it sounded like he was slapping himself, "Ugh, this is why I prefer men: they can't make kids together,"

Jackie blinked in confusion, "What?"

Sirius grimaced. _I'm this close to murdering you with my own f*cking hands. Huh, this must be how Milky Way feels on a daily basis._

"So," Jackie slowly nodded, "You joined Team Universal to further your research and get revenge on Professor Cherry, who you're gay for?"

Sirius's shoulders drooped as he let out a sigh, "Yes, I guess that's pretty much the gist of it,"

"That's it? Huh?" Jackie shrugged, "Honestly, I was expecting a little more,"

Sirius blinked in surprise, "What?"

"I was expecting more," Jackie repeated, "You know, some kind of government conspiracy or something involving aliens, but instead you joined Team Universal out of heartbreak. That's not interesting at all,"

Sirius's eyes widened in rage, "HOW DARE YOU MOCK MY START OF DARKNESS! I'LL KILL YOU!"

Jackie smirked as he drew back, "Fine, but you'll have to fight my Pokémon first!"

Sirius smirked back, "I think I'll leave the fighting to my own Pokémon, but after that's done, I'll gladly take care of you myself,"

Jackie grinned. _I can't believe I just did that! Maybe I've been around Hero a little too long; he's starting to rub off on me. _He frowned. _I honestly don't know whether that's a good thing or a bad thing._

Sirius glared at him in hatred, "THERE YOU GO AGAIN, ZONING OUT ON ME!"

"Huh?" Jackie blinked in surprise, "Oh, sorry. Like I said, it happens,"

"Grr!" growling, Sirius continued to fume, "Why can't you just pay attention?!"

Jackie shrugged, "I said I was sorry."

"Well 'sorry' doesn't cut it!" Sirius spat.

"Geez," Jackie sighed, "Why are you so sensitive?"

Sirius seethed with fury, taking deep breaths to keep himself from creating a mental explosion out of anger, "I-I F-F*CKING HATE YOU!"

"(HELLO?! Are you guys done yet?!)"

"Huh?" they looked to their Pokémon.

The shiny grumping was lying on her back, unconscious.

Mary was sitting on her fallen enemy's belly, legs crossed as she drank from a cup of tea, "(Wow, Inferna was right; you guys _do_ talk too much.)"

"WHAT?!" Sirius roared in shock, "How is this possible?! How d-did you defeat my Grumpig?!"

Mary shrugged as she continued drinking her tea, "(I did it while you guys were talking. We tried waiting for you to finish as usual, but it took too long and I decided to just finish this while you were still at it.)"

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**New chapter, done.**

**P.S. I have nothing against gay people or any people really. The only people I really have anything against are racists, sexists, pedos, rapists, serial killers, internet trolls, bullies, my evil half half-sister half cousin, bla, bla, bla…**

**-RGGod, out!**


	56. The Doctor! Part 3

_**Chapter Fifty-Six:**_

_**The Doctor! Part 3**_

* * *

**Afternoon (4:27 P.M.), Doctor Sirius's Lab**

"Graah! Dammit!" Sirius recalled his shiny Grumpig, forcing Mary to jump off.

She smirked, "(If that's the best you got, then you need to get out more.)"

"Yeah, what she said!" Jackie cheered.

"That's it! I've had enough!" Sirius dragged his left hand over his face as he pulled out his last Poké Ball, "This is it. My final Pokémon!" he smirked, "And my strongest! The other two were nothing compared to this guy!"

Mary crossed her arms and smirked, "(Bring it on, sugah!)"

Smiling widely, Sirius tossed out the Poké Ball, "Go get her, Bronzong!"

The ball split open, releasing its occupant in a red arc of energy. It resembled a large, blue-green bell with two arms coming out of the upper sides. Near the bottom, it had two round, red eyes with blue-green irises and a rectangular mouth with three white, square teeth, "(Ah, finally, some action.)"

Jackie bared his fist, "Bring it!"

Sirius smiled, "Oh, I most certainly will. Bronzong, use-"

"GYAAAAAAAAAAH!" a loud, long scream sounded from the outside, "INTRUDERS!"

"HUH?!" Sirius blinked in astonishment, "WHAT THE?!"

"YEAH!" Jackie cheered, "That must be Hero with our miniature army!"

"WHAT?!" Sirius screamed as the loud sounds of battle reached them through the walls. He turned his rage-filled eyes to Jackie and Mary, "Don't think this is over! You may have stormed our base, but you'll still die here!"

"Hah!" Jackie snorted, "How? Now that all your base are belong to us, we've got the advantage!"

Sirius smirked, "Then let's see if you can keep it!" _Bronzong, set up a Future Sight, then use Bulldoze!_

"(I CAN SEE THE FUTURE!)" the bell raised its arms into the air, forming a light blue ball of energy that, after several seconds, instantly disappeared. While Jackie and Mary were still left in confusion over this event, the Bronzong lowered itself so that it was scraping the floor, then charged forward, churning up the ground under it as it slammed into Mary!

"GYAH!" the Flaaffy shrieked as she was knocked away by the super-effective Ground-type attack.

"MARY!" Jackie called out to her as she picked herself up, "We need to stop him from charging! Use Thunder Shock!"

"(R-Right!)" she grunted as she charged up her electricity, "(T-Take thi-)"

"(No!)" the Bronzong interrupted her with its Bulldoze, slamming into her before she could release the electricity, causing what electricity she had accumulated to blow up in her face.

She stumbled back to her feet, dazed from the last attack, "(A-Ah'm not o-outta this yet!)" she began to re-accumulate her electricity.

"(That's not going to work!)" the Bronzong said smugly as it slammed back into her even harder than before, sending her crashing into another one of Sirius's machines.

"Ugh!" she groaned as she fell down and collapsed to the floor.

Jackie bit his lip as he recalled her. _You did your best. _He stuffed her Poké Ball into his hoodie. _Who should I bring out next? Runt would be the ideal choice, but… _He thought back to his gym battle with Azur. _It'd probably be best if I went with Sonja first. After all, she hasn't seen much action lately, and she could wear down the Bronzong before Runt takes it on. _He smirked. _Well, that's if she doesn't roast it before he gets the chance._

He pulled out Sonja's Poké Ball and tossed it out, "Go, go, Sonja!"

The ball split open, releasing the bat-dragon, who took to the air immediately, "(Awww right!)" _This is it! I won my last battle, and I'll win this one too! I'll show them who's really weak!_

"Go get'em, Sonja! Use Dragon Breath!" Jackie ordered.

"(YEAH!)" the Noibat flew towards the bell and prepared to blast it with a burst of breath, but was cut off before she could finish as a mysterious force surrounded her, "(W-WHAT?!)" she felt her body become heavier, forcing her to flap her wings furiously to keep aloft, but to no avail, as the force around her intensified, slamming her into the ground, "(W-What's… happening?!)" her body weighed so much that she could barely lift her head.

"SONJA!" Jackie called out.

"Hmhmhm," Sirius chuckled, "That would be Bronzong's Gravity. It's a very useful move when dealing with Flying-types like your Noibat,"

Jackie glared at him, "Damn you!" he looked over to Sonja, who was still struggling to get up, "Come on, Sonja! You can do it! You can win!"

"(YEAH!)" she yelled as she managed to force herself back up on her tiny feet, much to the amazement of Sirius and his Bronzong. Panting and heaving in exertion, she spread her wings triumphantly, "(I-I WON'T LOSE!)"

"What?! BUT HOW?!" Sirius gawked at the Noibat incredulously… but his look of amazement was soon replaced by a smug but sadistic smile, "Too bad your display of strength will still amount to nothing,"

"Huh?" Jackie and Sonja blinked in surprise.

"(GAH!)" the air above Sonja crackled, and light blue bolts of lightning fell from the ceiling striking Sonja with such force that she barely had enough time to cry out before being knocked into unconsciousness.

"SONJAAAA!" Jackie cried out.

Sirius smirked, "So, how'd you like our Future Sight? It's one of the most powerful Psychic-type moves in existence, perfect for one-shotting unsuspecting imbeciles such as yourselves,"

"Grr, you bastards!" Jackie gritted his teeth as he recalled Sonja. He glared at them, tears in his eyes, "I'LL MAKE YOU PAY FOR WHAT YOU DID TO SONJA, MARY, AND DECEIT!"

The smirk on Sirius's face widened, "You can try, but you'll inevitably fail," he blinked in surprise as he noticed something about the boy, "Ooh! Is that a Pokémon egg?!"

Jackie's eyes widened in surprise, "Yeah, it is!" he narrowed his eyes, ready to defend the egg in his backpack, "Why'd you ask?"

"Oh, no reason," Sirius lied, "I'll be sure to confiscate it from you after we're through," he smiled, "I haven't done much research on Pokémon eggs, but I might as well make sure that all my bases are covered."

Rage flashed through Jackie's eyes, "I WON'T LET YOU!" he pulled out Runt's Poké Ball, "I'LL NEVER LET YOU!"


	57. The Doctor! Part 4

_**Chapter Fifty-Seven:**_

_**The Doctor! Part 4**_

* * *

**Afternoon (4:40 P.M.), Doctor Sirius's Lab**

"Go, go, Runt!" Jackie tossed out his last Poké Ball, releasing the Quilava.

"(It's fightin' time!)" Runt roared as he was released, his flames burning bright.

Sirius frowned. _A Fire-type, hmm? This one might just prove troublesome…_

Runt glared at the Bronzong, "(So you're the one who beat up Mary and Sonja?)" he bared his teeth, "(I'll make you pay for that!)"

The Bronzong folded its arms smugly, "(You can try, but failure is inevitable.)"

Runt smirked, "(We'll see about that…)"

Jackie gritted his teeth. _Okay, Hero's outside with our miniature army, fighting off the Universals while I'm stuck in here with their leader. All I need to do is beat him, or at the very least, hold him off until the battle outside is over._

He narrowed his eyes and gave out his order, "Runt, use Flame Wheel!"

"(BUUUURN!)" the Quilava jumped into the air, cloaking himself in fire as he began spinning, then fell to the ground and rolled towards the bell as a tire of fire!

Sirius grimaced, "Bronzong, counter with Bulldoze!"

The bell obeyed wordlessly, lowering itself so that its bottom was scraping the ground, then charging forward, churning up the floor under it.

The two Pokémon clashed, the tire of fire colliding with the charging bell, each trying to overwhelm the other with their strength.

In the end, both rebounded away from the other, panting in exhaustion from their opponent's super-effective attacks.

"(Heh…heh… that all you got?)" Runt panted.

The iron bell shook itself, "(Not even close!)"

"Hmhmhm," Sirius chuckled, "Your Quilava seems a little worse for wear,"

"But how?" Jackie narrowed his eyes, "Both of those attacks should have been super-effective!"

Sirius smirked, "Maybe I should enlighten you then. Bronzong's ability is Heat Proof, which halves all the damage it receives from Fire-type attacks."

"WHAT?!" Jackie and Runt exclaimed.

"Yes, now let's see how you handle this!" he threw his hand to the side, "Bronzong, use Bulldoze, again!"

The bell dropped to the floor and charged towards Runt.

"Runt! Dodge it, then hit it with Ember!" Jackie quickly ordered.

"(Right!)" Runt sidestepped the Bronzong as it charged by, then spat a wad of fire at it, "(BUUUURN!)"

"(Gah!)" the Bronzong backed away as it was covered in flames, "(…I'M ON FIRE!)"

Sirius narrowed his eyes, "Spin it off with Gyro Ball!"

The Bronzong held out its arms, white balls of energy appearing at their ends; it then began to spin rapidly towards Runt, crashing into him with such force that he was sent flying!

"(GAAH!)" Runt crashed into another machine and fell to the floor.

"RUNT!" Jackie called out.

Sirius smiled, "Three for two and I'm back on top!"

"(HEY! I'M NOT OUTTA THIS YET!)" the Quilava roared as he stood back up on shaky legs.

"That's the spirit!" Jackie cheered.

"(Please, one more attack and your through!)" the Bronzong sneered.

"(Heh…heh…)" Runt panted in exhaustion, "(I promised… that I'd make you pay… for what you did to my… friends… ugh!)" the look of determination in his ruby eyes intensified, as did his flames, which soared upwards as he roared, "(GRAAAAAAAAAA!)"

Sirius's eyes widened in surprise, as did his Bronzong's, "WHAT THE?!"

Jackie grinned, "That's Runt's ability: Blaze!" he smirked, "Now you're in for a world of hurt! Runt! Use Flame Wheel, then Ember!"

"(BUUUURN!)" Runt jumped up and spinned, his form covered in mighty flames as he dropped to the ground, rolling full speed straight for the Bronzong.

"Huh?!" Sirius's eyes widened further, "Quickly, counter with Bulldoze!"

"(R-Right!)" the Bronzong stammered before dropping itself to the floor a moment too late as the blazing tire of fire crashed into it, sending it flying backwards as Runt rebounded off.

"(BURN IN THE INFERNO!)" his ruby eyes shined as he blasted the steel bell with a massive wad of fire.

"(GYAAAH!)" the flaming Bronzong was sent crashing through the building entrance into the outside.

Sirius stared after his Pokémon in horror, "NOOOO!"

Runt crossed his small arms victoriously, "(Looks like you just got…)" he smirked, "(…burned.)"

"Nice one!" Jackie cheered.

"No! No! No!" Sirius broke down into a tantrum as he furiously stamped his feet on the ground, "I CAN'T LOSE!"

Jackie gave him a thumbs down, "As a scientist, shouldn't you observe things more clearly? Because, in case you haven't noticed, you just did."

Sirius turned to him with rage-filled eyes, "You damned brat! I'll kill you!" he charged towards Jackie, but was intercepted by Runt halfway.

The Quilava bared his teeth, "(Go on, take a step forward. See what happens.)"

"Ugh!" faced with the fiery stoat, Sirius immediately turned tail and ran for the exit, only to crash into someone's chest and fall backwards onto his rear. _Oh my Arceus, you could grind meet on i- GAAH!_

It was Hero, standing in the doorway with a smile on his face, "Well, well, well, look what I found?"

Sirius gulped and scuttled backwards, only to find Runt growling just behind him, "Ugh!" he looked around, searching for an exit, "No!" his shoulders drooped and he sighed in resignation, "I… I… surrender…"

"Hero!" Jackie grinned as he ran up to the blue-haired man, "It's so good to see you!"

"Heh," Hero sighed, "I'm just glad to see that you're alright," he looked around and whistled, "Damn, you sure did a number on this place. Maybe you didn't need me to come over here after all?"

Jackie smirked, "Me and my Pokémon are strong enough to handle ourselves,"

"Well," Hero smiled, then pulled Jackie into a noogie, "That's good to hear!"

"Hihihi!" Jackie giggled as he pulled out of Hero's noogie, "So, how're things on the outside?"

He smirked, "We've got everyone taken care of!"

Jackie raised an eyebrow, "Hostages?"

"Freed!"

"Universals?"

"Taken prisoner!"

"Our miniature army?"

"All ready to throw a party with the freed hostages!"

"Really?!" Jackie asked excitedly.

Hero nodded, "Really!" he nudged Jackie, "You and Runt better get out there. After all, you bravely snuck into the Universal's base and took out their leader. So you're the hero,"

Jackie nodded back, "Cool!" he hesitated, "But what about… him?" he gestured to Sirius, who crouched against the wall, hugging his head to his knees, muttering about how this could have happened.

Hero patted him on the back, "Don't worry. I'll take care of him!" he pushed Jackie and Runt out of the building, "You guys go and have fun with everyone else, and I'll join you when I'm done with this, 'kay?"

Jackie nodded as he and Runt went to join the festivities, "Thanks!"

"You're welcome!" Hero called back before turning to Doctor Sirius. _He's one of Team Universal's higher-ups, so he'll have a lot of information that we'll need to interrogate out of him. _He grimaced. _I'll have to turn him into the authorities, then I can see about questioning him later…_


	58. Rejoice! Part 1

_**Chapter Fifty-Eight:**_

_**Rejoice! Part 1**_

* * *

**Evening (6:41 P.M.), Gris Village**

"We'll take it from here," the police officer nodded as he and his partner carried the handcuffed Doctor Sirius to one of several police trucks.

"Seeya later!" Jackie cheekily waved goodbye.

"Good riddance!" the inhabitants of Gris Village jeered and booed.

"YOU DAMNED BRAT!" Sirius struggled in the officers' grips, "Let go of me!" he lashed out with his legs, flailing desperately to free himself.

"Settle down!" the policeman yelled as one of Sirius's flailing legs caught him in the knee.

"Here, let me help," Hero walked over and grabbed Sirius by the shoes, "Come on, let's throw him in,"

"Thanks," the police officers sighed in relief as they lifted Sirius up and carried him to the truck.

"Grr!" Sirius growled as he struggled, but it was as if his legs were locked in place by Hero's grip.

Without dignity, he was thrown into the back of the truck, the police officers hurriedly shutting and locking the doors before he could make another run for it.

The policeman gave Jackie and Hero a salute, "Thank you for the help, but we'll take it from here,"

"Goodbye!" the crowd waved as the trucks drove off, one carrying Sirius, another containing his confiscated equipment, and the rest holding the remaining Universals.

Smiling, Hero turned around to address them, "Okay! Now that all the Universals are gone, let's get back to the 'Liberation Celebration'!"

"YEAH!" the crowd of Gris villagers and Pardo trainers cheered as they went back the festival, which consisted of everything that the Universals had already prepared before the attack and a little extra made by the villagers in gratitude for their liberation.

Jackie smiled as he watched the festivities. Like everyone else, he had been thanked by the Gris villagers, and, not wanting to pass up on the offer of a free banquet, had decided to stay for the night, "GAH!"

"Nice job takin' out that Sun-head!" Monster pulled him into a headlock from behind, "I knew you could do it!"

"Hah…hah!" Jackie took deep breaths of air as she released him, "DO YOU ALWAYS GREET PEOPLE LIKE THAT?!"

She grinned, "Yep!"

Behind her were Saury and Sasha, her shiny male Haxorus and female Tyranitar, respectively. They sighed. _She really needs to stop doing that._

Monster looked around, "Hey, where are your Pokémon?"

"Well, after Mary, Deceit, and Sonja got their energy back, I let them and Runt walk around and explore," Jackie explained.

"Ah, I see," the little girl nodded. She looked up and grinned, "By the way, how's the egg doin'?"

Jackie grinned, gripping the straps of his backpack, "It's doin' great! I managed to keep it safe and out of harm's way! Do you think it'll hatch soon?"

"Dunno," Monster shrugged. _But it should be ready in a couple of hours…_

Saury and Sasha stared at him approvingly. _He'll raise our son into a proud warrior._

Elsewhere…

Virizion watched the celebrating humans and Pokémon in interest as she ate some food that they had graciously prepared for her. _These humans are much nicer than those Universals…_

"(Hey!)"

She looked up from her meal to find a Quilava standing in front of her. _Hmm? I think that's one of the boy's, Jackie's, Pokémon. What was he called again?_ She narrowed her right eye in thought.

As if reading her mind, the Quilava answered her, "(The name's Runt.)"

"(Oh, thank you.)" she nodded.

He sighed, "(Hey, can I ask you a question?)"

She smiled, "(Of course.)"

He looked around at the celebrating humans and Pokémon, "(Do you know any quiet spots near here where I can train in peace?)"

"(Hmm?)" she closed her eyes in thought, "(I haven't had much time to take in the sights around here, what with those Universals chasing me nearly every second of every day, but I think that there's a nice clearing with a pond several meters behind me.)"

(Ah, thanks!)" the small Quilava nodded graciously, "(I don't really like being in crowds.)"

"(You're welcome!)" the semi-legendary called as Runt ran into the forest behind her. She smiled, "(Jackie and his Pokémon… they're nice people...)" she looked up and frowned, "(But one question, just what am I to do, where am I to go, now that I'm free?)"

Elsewhere still…

*Om nommidy nom* *Om nom nom nom*

Sonja voraciously devoured the assorted fruits on the table before her. _I can't believe I lost again! _She narrowed her eyes as she binged. _Just when things were starting to look up for me, I go and get one-shotted by a stupid bell! GRRRRR!_ She growled in frustration as she stopped eating to bang her head on the table. _All I want to do is win! But time after time, I keep letting Jackie down! Why can't I be stronger?! _

The small bat-dragon sighed as she laid flat on the table. _I can't wait 'til I evolve like Mary and Runt. Maybe then I won't suck so much, 'cause right now Yamcha wins more than me._

Elsewhere again…

Hero smiled as he gazed around from his seat at a table, "Everything's going great," he frowned, "I wish we could leave for Rosa City sooner, but I guess I can wait until morning," he sighed, "I'll see you soon, Scarlett…"

"(Ughhh!)" someone groaned behind him.

"Hmm?" Hero turned to find Inferna, "What do you want?"

His Blaziken crossed her arms disapprovingly, "(Do you really think that those police can keep ahold of that Sirius guy?)"

Hero shrugged, "Not really," he smiled, "But, of course, that's all a part of my plan,"

The fiery bird put her hands on her hips and glared at him, "(A plan? Really?)"

He nodded, and she sighed, sitting down beside him with her elbows on the table, hands held over her face, "(Oh great…)"

"Don't worry," he patted her on the back, "After this, it's just another five years to retirement, then we can buy that island you always wanted,"

She smiled, "(I'd like that.)"

Hero smiled back, "Good," he looked around, "So, anything you wanna do?"

"(Weeeell…)" she turned and grabbed him by the arm, dragging him back to the celebrating crowds.

"Uh… what are we doing?" Hero asked her worriedly.

"(This.)" she turned around so that her back was facing him and put his hands on her shoulders.

Hero's eyes widened, "N-No! Anything but that!"

She looked back and grinned, "(Just look behind you.)"

Hero gulped and glanced back: a large line of people had gathered behind him, including Kliff, Tom, and Daniel.

Inferna grinned as Hero sighed, "Fine," in the best party voice he could manage, he yelled out, "Let's get this conga line started!"

_It's just like the last time… _Hero grimaced as Inferna led the conga line. _I sure hope there's no beer this time, or there'll be Hell to pay in the morning…_


	59. Rejoice! Part 2

_**Chapter Fifty-Nine:**_

_**Rejoice! Part 2**_

* * *

**Afternoon (7:18 P.M.), Gris Village**

"Do you like it?" one of the villagers asked her.

"(Yes I do!)" Deceit nodded graciously as she tried on the white collar, which was held around her neck by a black ribbon, "(Hmm?)" she surveyed herself in the mirror provided by the villager, and giggled approvingly. _Heh heh, Runt'll get a real rise out of this. _She giggled again. _Hihihi, teasing him is so much fun. _

She frowned. _But we should really move forward into a relationship. I mean, seriously, we've had zero development for as long as I've been here. _She grinned. _Well, there's only one way to settle this, one final assault. All I need to do is find Mary…_

"(Hey, Deceit!)"

"(Ah! Mary!)" Deceit turned to find her rival/friend, "(Ooh, is that a bow?)"

"(Yep!)" Mary proudly nodded, showing off the bright pink bow on her wool horns, "(Ooh, what's that thing you have around your neck?)"

"(This?)" the large Mawile gestured to the object around her neck, "(Why this is a collar, my dear Mary.)"

She tilted her head in confusion, "(That's one weird collar.)"

Deceit chuckled, "(Hmhmhm, of course it is. It's based off of the ones humans have attached to their shirts, only for Pokémon.)"

"(Hmm?)" Mary smiled, "(Well, one thing's for certain, it looks great on you!)"

Deceit smiled back, "(Yeah, I know. It really complements my coloration.)"

They walked together, chatting rather amiably.

_Hmm… _Deceit crossed her arms behind her head, "(Hey, Mary, I've been thinkin'…)"

The pink sheep tilted her head, "(What about?)"

"(Runt.)" the Mawile answered.

Mary narrowed her eyes suspiciously, "(What about Runt, sugah?)"

Deceit sighed, "(We've gotten absolutely nowhere in trying to get his affections.)"

Mary's eyes relaxed as she sighed, "(True.)"

"(So…)" Deceit began, "(…how about this: instead of fighting each other to get to him, why don't we work together?)"

Her eyes widened, "(W-Wait! A-Are you saying we should…)"

"(…Share him?)" Deceit finished, "(Yes. He's pretty strong, and has good stamina, so I'm sure he could satisfy us both.)"

Mary blinked in astonishment, "(B-B-But-)"

Deceit sighed, "(Look, it's not too uncommon. My daddy has three mates, including my mommy.)" she grinned, "(Heck, one of them isn't even in the same egg group.)"

"(You do have a point…)" Mary furrowed her brow in thought, "(Back home at the ranch we have a bunch of Miltank, and only one Tauros, while in the wild male Pyroars typically have prides of around three females.)"

"(Yeah.)" Deceit nodded, then frowned, "(Though I hear it's the opposite for those starter Pokémon like Runt and Inferna. The females tend to have a harem of about seven males.)"

Mary frowned, "(Ah don't think Inferna's the kind of Pokémon to have a harem.)"

Deceit shrugged, "(To be perfectly honest, I don't think she's into other Pokémon, if you know what I mean…)"

Mary shrugged back, "(Weird.)"

"(So…)" Deceit brought her hands together before Mary, "(What do you say?)"

The electric sheep swallowed nervously, "(Ah don't know…)"

"(Come on!)" Deceit urged her, "(We'll never get him if we keep fighting each other, but if we work together; we'll take him down in an instant!)"

She crossed her arms in thought, "(Fair enough, Ah doubt he could say no if we double teamed him.)" she sighed, "(Ah still don't know about this.)"

Deceit sighed. _What's it gonna take to persuade her? _She blinked. _Ah! That's it!_

"(I got it!)" Deceit grabbed Mary by the arm and pulled her along.

"(Got what?!)" Mary asked as she ran behind her.

"(Her!)" Deceit answered as she stopped before a new friend.

Mary blinked in surprise, "(Virizion?!)"

Deceit nodded as they walked up to the semi-legendary, who was still enjoying her meal of fruits, "(Yeah! These semi-legendaries are supposed to be all wise and sh*t, she can prove that I'm right!)"

Mary gulped. _Ah don't know how I feel about this…_

"(Yo, Virizion!)" Deceit called over to the grass antelope as they approached.

The semi-legendary looked up, "(Ah, uh…)" she narrowed her right eye in thought. _What was it? Ah! _"(Deceit, Mary, hello.)"

Deceit grinned, "(Good to seeya, too!)"

Virizion smiled, "(Well, to what do I owe the pleasure of your greeting?)"

"(Uhh…)" Deceit stared in confusion, not understanding what she had just said.

"(W-Well… y-you see…)" Mary twiddled her nonexistent thumbs.

"(Hmhmhm…)" Virizion chuckled, "(Go on, you can ask me anything.)"

"(Weeeell…)" Mary carefully chose her words, trying desperately to not sound petty as she explained, "(There's this…)"

"(Thing!)" Deceit chipped in.

"(Yeah…)" Mary nodded, "(There's this… thing… that we both want, but there's only one of it. We fight over it a lot, but we don't want to fight anymore now that we're friends.)" she sighed, "(Do you know how we can settle this?)"

Virizion frowned, then sighed. _Simple problems deserve simple answers. _"(Why not do the simple thing and share it?)"

Deceit grinned, "(See! Told you!)"

Mary frowned, "(But is it really that simple?)"

Sighing, Virizion nodded, "(Of course. If it's a simple possession, just take turns or try to use it at the same time, or, if it's food, just split it in two.)"

Mary closed her eyes in contemplation, "(Well… it could work… Ah guess…)"

"(Of course it will!)" Deceit smiled as she grabbed Mary's arm again, "(Hey, Virizion, do you know where Runt is?)"

The semi-legendary nodded, pointing behind her with her front right leg, "(He went that way to train, why do you ask?)"

"(Hmhm, no reason!)" Deceit answered as she dragged Mary off to the clearing, "(We've just got some sharing to do!)"

Virizion blinked in astonishment as they disappeared from sight. _Wait, what? WHAT?! _

She gulped, "(What have I just done?)"

"Hey, Virizion!"

She turned around, "(Huh?)"

It was Jackie, "How are ya? You enjoying the food?)"

"(O-Oh!)" she nodded, "(Yes, greatly.)" _Much better than just snacking on a single berry every other day and only getting to sleep for a few hours each week._

"Well, that's good to hear," he sighed as he sat down beside her, "I was worried you'd feel uncomfortable with so many people around,"

She managed a wry grin, "(I do, a little, but they're much better than those Universals.)" her eyes narrowed, "(I'll make them pay for what they did to both this village and myself!)"

Jackie chuckled, "Just don't get too ahead of yourself. After all, you don't want to end up biting off more than you can chew."

She sighed, "(True.)"

He grinned, "By the way, where do you plan on going after this?"

She frowned, "(I don't really know. To get back to Unova, I would have to take one of your boats or planes.)" she gulped, "(I… don't feel like getting on either one.)" she blinked and shook her head at him frantically, "(Not that I'm afraid or anything!)"

He giggled, "It's okay, I understand,"

She swallowed nervously, "(I-I'm telling you! I-I'm n-not afraid!)"

Jackie sighed, "Yeah, yeah."

She sighed back, "(To be perfectly honest, I don't think I'll be able to get back home anytime soon.)" she frowned. _Now that I think about it, there was never anything back home to tie me down: no trio, no real friends, and no relatives save for my sister, who I rarely spoke to anyway. _

She looked up, forming a wry smile. _Who knows? Maybe I could build a new life for myself here… yes!_

She smiled at Jackie, "(Hey… Jackie?)"

He smiled back, "What?"

"(You know a bit about those Universals, don't you?)" she asked.

He nodded, "Yeah, I tend to run into them at about every other place I visit,"

"(That so… hmhmhm…)" she chuckled rather sheepishly as she asked her next question, "(Then… would it be okay… if I were to… join you?)"

He blinked in astonishment, "Really?! Of course!" he nodded vigorously as he reached into his backpack, "Just let me get a Poké Ball and-"

"(N-NO!)" she shrieked in astonishment as she quickly staggered to her legs.

Jackie blinked in astonishment as he hurriedly stuffed the Poké Ball back into his backpack, "S-Sorry!"

She took several deep breaths before sitting back down, "(N-No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have overreacted like that.)" she sighed, "(It's just… I don't think I'm ready for something like that…)"

He shook his head, "No, I'm the one who's sorry. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions."

They blinked at one another several times before breaking out into laughter.

Jackie wiped a tear from his eye, "Well, I think it's about time for me to go to bed," he got back up and dusted himself off, "Where'll you be sleeping?"

"(Hmm?)" she gazed around and shrugged, "(I guess I'm okay with sleeping here.)"

Jackie nodded as he went to fetch Sonja, "Okay, I'll just be sleeping in one of the village's guest rooms over there," he waved goodbye as he ran off, "If you see Runt, Mary, or Deceit, tell them where I am, 'kay?!"

She nodded as he disappeared into the crowd, "(I will!)" she glanced wearily behind her. _But I think I'll leave them alone for the night…_


	60. Rejoice! Part 3

_**Chapter Sixty:**_

_**Rejoice! Part 3**_

* * *

**Night (7:46 P.M.), Paredes Forest**

"(GRA!)" Runt dashed forward using Quick Attack and tackled the tree, hitting it so hard that he broke through it and managed to dent the next tree behind it.

"(Hmph!)" he smirked as he landed back on the ground, panting in exertion, "(I guess that'll do for now.)"

Stretching his small arms, he walked over to the pond to take a drink. _This training is good and all, but I can't let it distract me from the problems at hand. _

Inwardly, he let out a sigh as he lapped at the pond's water. _What am I gonna do about Mary and Deceit? There's been a lull in their advances lately, but I doubt it'll last for long. Seriously, what am I going to do?!_

He lifted his head to take a breath, before going back down to drink again. _To be perfectly honest, if it wasn't for my vow of chastity as a warrior, I'd be in heaven, what with two beautiful womons like them: Mary, nice and comely, and Deceit, wild and alluring… _

_Gah! _He shook his head to rid himself of those thoughts. _No, no, NO! I can't think like that! The warrior's path is one of solitude! _

But no matter how much his mind denied it, his heart ached for companionship, while his body ached for… something else.

"(Uhh…)" He sighed.

"(Hi, Baby!)"

"(GAH!)" he twisted around, his eyes widening as he spluttered on the water he had been drinking, "(M-Mary! Deceit!)"

"(Ah, h-hello!)" Mary waved sheepishly.

Runt gulped; he had a _**very **_bad feeling about this, "(W-What do you w-want?)"

Deceit licked her lips as she approached, "(Why, you of course.)"

Runt swallowed nervously, "(Meep!)" he tried to step back, but the pond was behind him, and as much as he had gotten over the Fire-types' innate and general fear of water, he still wasn't so keen on taking a swim, so he was forced to hold his ground, "(W-What do you mean by that?!)"

"(Simply put…)" she gestured to herself and Mary, "(We've decided that instead of fighting over you, we're just going to share you instead.)"

His eyes went white, a trail of blood falling from his nose, "(W-What?)"

She licked her lips again, "(You heard me…)"

He gulped again as he shot Mary a pleading look, "(Y-You can't be serious!)"

Mary sighed, making up her mind, "(We are. This is the simplest, cleanest solution to our problem.)"

He swallowed nervously, "(B-B-But-)"

Deceit raised an eyebrow, "(But what?)"

"(Uhh… uhh…)" he glanced around, trying to think of an excuse and/or defense, "(M-My chastity!)"

Mary raised her own eyebrow, "(What about your chastity?)"

He glanced around again, his mind running on fumes, gripping at straws as he desperately tried to keep himself from accepting their offer without thinking, "(Th-The w-warrior's path is a p-path of solitude! I can't have a mate, or a c-companion! That would j-just hold m-me down from my path t-to the t-top, to be the st-strongest!)"

"(Hmm?)" Mary held a hand to her chin as she thought over his rationalization.

Deceit narrowed her eyes as she grabbed his arm and pulled him close, "(What kind of lame rationalization is that?!)"

He gulped again, cowering under her gaze, "(Meep!)"

She sighed, letting go of him, "(Sorry, Baby, but have you forgotten? We're a team. We help each other to the top, and when we do get there, we get there together, in no way do we get there alone.)"

"(Uhh…)" he blinked again, realizing the truth in her words, "(B-But, wouldn't that be unnatural? A single male, having two mates? How weird would that be?)"

"(Actually…)" Mary spoke up, "(Considering that all life on Earth is only possible through water, which is made of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom, you could say that all life revolves around a single threesome, meaning it wouldn't be so unnatural after all.)"

Deceit and Runt stared at her blankly, "(Wut?)"

"(Oh!)" she blushed. _Ah forgot that Ah'm the only one here who knows any chemistry. _

Mary sighed as she walked forward, "(Look, Runt, to tell you the truth, there are tons of examples of polyamory in the wild, so how can you say that this is completely unnatural?)"

"(Uhh…)" he looked down, feebly trying to find a way to refuse, "(Weeeell…)"

She sighed as she held an arm under his chin, lifting his head up so that they were staring at each other, "(Runt, we love you. We've decided that we'll try to share you. Ah have my doubts that it'll work out in the end, but until then, Ah'm willing to try it out.)" she smiled, "(So, what do you say?)"

"(Uhh…)" his gaze shifted to Deceit, who was watching intently, then back to Mary, who was doing the same.

He sighed, giving in, "(Fine.)"

Their eyes widened, "(Really?!)"

He nodded as he got up, "(Yeah, I guess… we could try it out…)"

"(YEAH!)" Deceit cheered as she pulled him along, "(Don't worry, you won't be disappointed!)"

Mary nodded as she followed behind, "(We promise!)"

_I still doubt that this will work out… _Runt thought with a sigh. _Oh well. Goodbye, chastity, you will be missed…_

**Night (7:48 P.M.), Gris Village**

"Come on, Sonja," Jackie tried to cheer her up as he carried her, on his head, into their guest room, "You did your best, so there's no reason to feel down in the dumps,"

"(Hrmmm…)" she groaned, unable to move.

Jackie frowned; he had found the Noibat gorging herself on berries. _She must've eaten at least twice her own body weight…_

He carefully set her down on a small bed beside his larger one, "Here, just rest for the night," he patted her on the head while pulling up the miniature cover, before removing his backpack, which he placed on the other side of his bed.

He rubbed the smooth surface of the egg case as he gazed at the egg within, "I can't wait until you're ready to hatch; I know you'll be a great addition to both the family and the team."

With that done he blew out the candle, then plopped down on his own bed and snuggled into the warm blanket, "Good night, everybody,"

"(Hrmmm…)" Sonja groaned as she fell asleep.

Much later that night, after everyone had fallen asleep, the egg inside the case twitched, cracking…

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**An OTT has formed!**

**I get a new scenario to write for! I was getting tired of writing about two girls fighting over a guy, but this should be both fun and hilarious!**

**Also, the egg is hatching! **

**Join us next time, in: The Morning After!**

**-RGGod, out!**


End file.
